for Paying tribute to Bentley's classic V8 engine, Bentley Motors released the Bentley Flying Spur Edition 8, Continental GT Edition 8 and Continental GT Convertible Edition 8 models for the Chinese market at the 2024 Chengdu International Auto Show. It is worth noting that these models will start in China in the second half of this year. The models on sale are the last batch of Continental GT/GTC V8 fuel cars. At the same time, the Continental GT, Continental GT Convertible, and Bentley Flying Spur models will all enter the hybrid stage.

The media day of the Chengdu Auto Show has not passed half yet, and a Bentley Continental GT Edition 8 full of old money style on the booth was marked as sold.

There are three Edition8 models, all equipped with Bentley’s excellent 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine with a maximum power of 404kW and a peak torque of 770N·m. It is equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel drive system, which are consistent with the models on sale. . There is an exclusive model nameplate on the fender.

At the same time as the Edition 8 model was released at the 2024 Chengdu Auto Show, Mr. Kim Airey, Executive General Manager of Bentley Motors in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, was interviewed and shared Bentley’s personalized customization services in Mulliner and the current brand Promote electrificationSome of the gains made by the process.

Regarding MULLINER personalized customization, it is best to go to the Bentley Motors factory in Crewe, England, to experience it in person. Customers can choose various materials in a more immersive way, and they have a very intuitive feeling. Are there any services in the country that are targeted at improving experience?

The entire execution process of Bentley's personalized customization requires collaboration between the brand, dealers, and customers. From the initial design inspiration to the confirmation of the final design plan, it involves a lot of communication work to ensure the success of the customized model. The design fully incorporates the customer's ideas and opinions.

Take the "Panda" special edition as an example. Its customization was inspired by a Bentley car dealer. We first discussed with the dealer what kind of inspiration we wanted to use to create this exclusive model. Then the dealer proposed the concept of panda, but how to cleverly integrate the concept and graphics of panda into car design required many rounds of communication and Design modifications. After many rounds of communication with Bentley designers in Crewe, England, we were finally able to achieve a satisfactory solution.

There are also personalized customization commissions from Bentley customers. If I take myself as an example, my imagination may not be rich enough and my creativity may be limited, so I need to fully communicate my ideas with designers and inspire and clarify creative concepts with the help of designers.

Communication between the Chinese team and the British team will usually be conducted via conference calls or online. We also use sophisticated and high-precision proprietary software to display renderings of vehicle designs for customer reference. The pictures of these special edition MULLINER customized models shown to you now are high-precision images produced digitally, not actual shots of real cars. Through digital means, we can achieve very deep, detailed and precise communication.

We will still recommend that every customer who entrusts personalized customization is best to go to the Bentley Motors MULLINER department in Crewe, England to experience the immersive ultra-luxury customization service. However, if you cannot go in person, our digital production tools and Adequate online communication can also provide customers with high-quality customized services.

Another personalized customization case with Chinese characteristics is the "Jiangshan" special edition. Its customized graphics not only incorporate elements of landscapes, but the final pattern shape also symbolizes the two Chinese characters for "Jiangshan". Such a design with very cultural attributes is relatively unfamiliar to Bentley designers in Crewe, England, so it is necessary to incorporate consultation related to Chinese traditional culture into the communication. These steps are very important and very time-consuming. But what we hope to create for customers is an exclusive car full of emotions and stories, a unique customized masterpiece that meets their highest expectations, rather than simply launching a few limited edition models for customers to choose from.

We have tested many Bentley PHEV models before, and the release of the new Continental GT Extreme Edition also means that Bentley has taken an important step in the electrification process. What is the follow-up progress and plan for Bentley’s pure electric models?

Bentley Motors has always followed the "Beyond100" business strategy and steadily advanced the electrification process.

A very important milestone recently is the recent Chinese premiere of the new Continental GT Extreme Edition and the new Continental GT Convertible Extreme Edition, which means that we have realized the option of plug-in hybrid versions on all Bentley models. The next milestone will be the planned launch of the first Bentley all-electric model in 2026.

The current market environment in China is very severe. From Bentley Motors' financial report, we can see that revenue and profits have declined to a certain extent. Are there any specific measures for the Chinese market?

I believe that the current sales decline is a natural correction of the market. In the current economic environment, it is inevitable that the business will be affected by the economic cycle. Although the overall market has declined significantly, we are still very satisfied with Bentley's current performance in the Chinese market.

In view of this, we have not made too many strategic adjustments for the Chinese market and remain focused on listening to the voices of Chinese customers and meeting the specific needs of the market. We will arrange production according to market demand and will not produce too many products in advance and put them into the market to ensure the uniqueness, exclusivity and brand value of Bentley cars.

Even with the challenges of the current economic cycle, we remain very focused on Bentley’s core values: brand and design. We will continue to optimize body lines and other design details through careful selection of materials and the use of new technologies to maintain the uniqueness of Bentley vehicles.

In addition, we will continue to improve the digital level of Bentley models. All 2025 Bentley models will be equipped with the new My Bentley App Studio feature.

Through this feature, customers can download and install numerous vehicle and third-party applications directly to the in-car infotainment system for the first time, especially applications suitable for China's digital ecosystem. Applications commonly used by Chinese customers such as music, video, games, navigation, parking and charging can be seamlessly integrated into the infotainment system. The large central control screen, driver's seat display, and head-up display can all be integrated with the applications. Seamless connection.

This feature will greatly enhance the convenience of driving. For example, the address received through WeChat can be directly transmitted to the vehicle navigation system to achieve seamless connection. In the future, we will continue to develop based on market feedback and customer voices to cover more applications.

Currently, newHow is the feedback of the Continental GT Extreme Edition in the Chinese market? What does a customer portrait look like? What expectations does the brand have for its performance in the Chinese market?

When creating the new Continental GT Extreme Edition, we always paid attention to and considered the needs of Bentley's core customer groups.

First of all, we will emphasize the driving feeling and actual control experience of this new car. Bentley's customer base in China is generally younger, so we will also incorporate more modern elements into the design. Another significant feature of our customer group is the increase in the proportion of female car owners. Therefore, we also need to fully meet the needs of female customers when designing new cars. We believe that the new Continental GT Extreme Edition can fully achieve these two goals, so we are also very optimistic about its market performance.

During the previous launch period, we held a total of 7 customer communication meetings and received very positive customer feedback. The new car has now begun to receive orders. It is worth mentioning that these are all achieved when customers only experience the static display of the vehicle. I believe that with the launch of dynamic test drive activities in China, everyone can truly experience the dynamic control of the new car, and the positive feedback will increase further.

When it comes to customer portraits, I think Bentley customers are very concerned about the aesthetic design and driving pleasure of their cars. They really enjoy the interaction between humans and cars and the dynamic driving control experience, so our transition to autonomous driving will be relatively slow. We will pay more attention to maintaining this driving experience and highlight this in product design.

Will Bentley's future models retain both fuel and plug-in hybrid models, or will they fully switch to plug-in hybrid versions?

Once we launch the new Bentley Flying Spur model equipped with an ultra-high-performance hybrid system, all future models of the Bentley Flying Spur and Continental GT series will be equipped with hybrid systems, and pure fuel-powered models will no longer be produced. But for the Bentayga SUV model, we will still retain two power options: pure fuel and hybrid power. All the vehicles on the Bentley booth at the Chengdu International Auto Show are equipped with pure fuel-powered Bentley V8 engines, which is also a tribute to an era.

New EuropeWhat design highlights of the Continental GT Extreme Edition are worth sharing?

Bentley Motors has always adhered to the brand's unique design DNA. The design highlights of the new Continental GT Extreme Edition can be interpreted from the body design lines displayed by the "three lines".

The fourth-generation Continental GT Extreme Edition continues the classic shape of the modern Bentley two-door model. The whole vehicle posture is like a resting beast (Resting Beast), ready to go but calm and leisurely. The two power lines and the powerful rear waistline highlight the vehicle's inherent power. Bentley's designers loved the image of a tiger at rest - relaxed and confident, calm but ready to unleash its astonishing power.

Looking from the side of the car body, the design of the front part of the car shows an upright elegance, inspired by the elegant posture of a thoroughbred horse, making it more wide and upright. While this design isn't a plus for aerodynamics, we're looking forward to creating a more visually striking effect with this design. Combined with the design of the front face lines, the front part of the car appears wider and lower, further enhancing the majesty of the vehicle.

The "Endless Bonnet" outlines the strong and powerful horizontal lines of the car body, hinting at the surging power performance and ultimate speed potential.

In addition, we continue to listen to the voices of our customers, especially feedback from Chinese customers, who believe that the previous round design of Bentley's headlights was not visually intimidating enough. Therefore, the headlights of the new Continental GT Extreme Edition present a more oval design. The headlights adopt a new horizontal "brow" design, which increases the sense of focus and visual impact. The front design is more decisive and is also inspired by tiger hunting. Demeanor of concentration.

The age of Bentley customers in the Chinese market is getting younger and younger. So how do you think the focus of future customers in terms of design, driving control, new energy, and intelligence will be different from the past?

We have observed that the current Bentley customer base in China is becoming younger, and they are also the youngest customer base of Bentley Motors in the world, and this trend is becoming more and more significant. Therefore, we will also incorporate more modern aesthetic elements into the design.

In the design process of the new Continental GT Extreme Edition, we not only had to ensure the vehicle’s supercar-like performance, but also considered the customers’ daily use scenarios and convenient controls.

In terms of the application of new technologies, this model is equipped with a precisely tuned new Bentley Performance Active Chassis to ensure perfect output of vehicle torque and power, helping customers better achieve their goals while driving. Through car interaction, you can feel the feedback from the chassis and road conditions, making the new model more impressive in terms of comprehensive performance of power performance, handling and comfort, rather than simply pursuing speed.

What market strategy or insight is Bentley’s launch of the Edition 8 model based on? How do you view the prospects of personalized customization in China’s ultra-luxury market?

With the Edition 8, we are paying homage to Bentley’s much-loved 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine and the era of the internal combustion engine. The name "Edition 8" is not only because "8" has a unique and auspicious meaning in Chinese culture, but also symbolizes the V8 fuel engine and pays tribute to this powerful engine.

Edition 8 models select many configurations that are most popular with Chinese customers, fully listen to the voices of Chinese customers, and provide customers with an excellent driving experience. We believe that the Edition 8 model is an excellent choice for both loyal Bentley fans and new customers.

Standard-fitted select features include a wide range of color options and contrasting stitching on the seats. Configurations such as ambient lighting and LED welcome lights have also been added to the Edition 8 model based on feedback from Chinese customers. In addition, we also attach great importance to the comfort and pleasure of the vehicle. For example, the front row comfortable seats are equipped with massage, seat heating and ventilation functions; the Bentley Flying Spur model is equipped with a sliding panoramic sunroof.

The response from customers has also proven to be very good. The first day of the Chengdu International Auto Show has just started.One of the Continental GT Edition 8 show cars has already been ordered by a customer.

I think the trend of customer demand for personalized customization of ultra-luxury cars has not changed. The core of the ultra-luxury experience lies in personalization and exclusive customization. Whether it’s color matching, stitching or a series of other elements, the most important thing is to let customers feel the uniqueness of this car. This is also the experience that all ultra-luxury brands are committed to bringing to customers.

Like the fashion and fashion industry, we are now seeing more and more luxury brands committed to providing customers with exclusive customized services and creating unique products that fit their own lifestyles. So, when it comes to ultra-luxury cars, personalization and customization are the true meaning of luxury.

Personalized customization can bring a unique sense of belonging to customers, just like everyone's personalized settings for mobile phone functions and user interfaces. The same is true for Bentley models. We will provide a variety of technologies to satisfy customers individual needs.

For example, as mentioned just now, customers can use the My Bentley App Studio function to achieve seamless connection with applications on the large central control screen, driver's seat display, head-up display and other interfaces. These are also personalized and The scope of customization.

Editor: Yu Tongtong