Next Bentley Arnage to be lighter, sportier, automaker says

Bentley will explore lightweight construction techniques for the replacement of its flagship Arnage ultra-luxury sedan.

The future new model will compete with the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Mercedes-Benz Maybach at the very top of the luxury market, so it will be very sporting, despite its size and status.

“Bentley is the sporting alternative at that higher price too,” said Dirk van Braeckel, head of design at Bentley, told Automotive News Europe. Bentley is part of the Volkswagen group. “This is what will really differentiate us from the other cars. Ours will be a real driver’s car.”

The car would be more aerodynamic, more muscular and make a stronger statement, van Braeckel said. “Being a driver-focused car, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a long limousine or be focused on the rear.”

Asked whether the new car would be capable of more than 300 kph, like the Continental GT and Flying Spur, van Braeckel said: “Being a worthy Bentley, it would have to.”

He added: “But it would also have to be a very personal, hand-built, commission-oriented type of car, like the Arnage is today. For the Arnage customer, his car is more of a castle than a house.”

Bentley’s brand values are still the same as in the past, but they had been strengthened by the success of the Continental GT and Flying Spur, he said. “We gauge what we do in terms of our bloodline cars, but we don’t do retro.”

This year, Bentley will launch two new cabriolets – the new Azure and the open version of the Continental.
Source: © autoweek.com by Tony Lewin