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Design No.5 – Creating Iconic Luxury

Carlsbad/Stuttgart, June 15, 2023

CreatingIconicLuxury: The Mercedes-Benz brand history is a source of inspiration for the future.

From the three-pointed star to gullwing doors and cab-forward design: over the decades, the Mercedes-Benz design
teams have created and established iconic elements. These are unmistakably associated with the brand,
shaping the Mercedes-Benz myth and creating desire. The Mercedes-Benz design team will continue to
develop the brand’s iconic style to further strengthen this heritage and carry it into the future.

PinnacleOfExclusivity: Exceptional customisation options, one-offs from collaborations, limited collector’s

and special editions, pioneering show cars and research and concept vehicles are the epitome of exclusivity
for Mercedes-Benz.

IDCCarlsbad: The Mercedes-Benz Design Centers provide important impetus for the continuous

development of the design philosophy of sensual purity and for setting trends with new design ideas. At the
International Design Center Carlsbad, the Mercedes-Benz design Team creates show car exteriors, vehicle
studies and mobility concepts for tomorrow and beyond. It does this by picking up on stylistic trends on site,
then analysing and creatively implementing them.

The Californian lifestyle influences the site just as much as
its proximity to Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America. A very special form of creativity
flourishes in Carlsbad, leaving its mark on Mercedes-Benz design and opening up new perspectives.

VisionOneEleven: With the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven, the brand presents a concept sports car that

progressively reinterprets the C 111, a brand icon of the 1970s. Much like its historic predecessor, it
combines stunning design with the most innovative drive technology. The Vision One-Eleven makes use of
axial flux motors from YASA, which have an unmatched power density far beyond comparable radial motors,
while being extremely lightweight.

ExclusiveCollection: Mercedes-Benz is launching the “LIMITED EDITION 1 OF 111” collection along with the

Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven. This is the first time that an iconic design study has been accompanied by
a lifestyle collection consisting of five exclusive pieces. In addition to the striking colour of the concept sports
car, the individual accessories also reflect the vehicle’s characteristic design elements.

AugmentedReality: The Mercedes-Benz design team used augmented reality (AR) to create a visionary user

experience for the premiere of the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven and integrated it into a virtual test
model of the Vision One-Eleven interior. The physical vehicle interior and the digital interface merge
seamlessly, so that virtually the entire car becomes a user interface.

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Porsche Mission X: a vivid dream of incredible performance

  • To create the fastest road-legal car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife
  • Power-to-weight ratio of roughly one hp per 2.2 lbs. (1 PS per kilogram)
  • Significantly more downforce than the current 911 GT3 RS
  • Charges roughly twice as quickly as the Taycan Turbo S

At Porsche, innovative concept cars have always laid the groundwork for the future. The sports car manufacturer is continuing this tradition with this latest concept study. Mission X is a spectacular, conceptual reinterpretation of a hypercar, with Le Mans-style doors that open upwards to the front and an ultra high-performance, efficient electric powertrain.Atlanta. Celebrating 75 years of Porsche sports cars, the storied marque today revealed its newest concept car: the Mission X. As a design study, not offered for sale, with production to be decided in due time, the Mission X is a glimpse into what the sports car of the future could look like.

“The Porsche Mission X is a technology beacon for the sports car of the future. It picks up the torch of iconic sports cars of decades past: like the 959, the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder before it, the Mission X provides critical impetus for the evolutionary development of future vehicle concepts,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “Daring to dream and dream cars are two sides of the same coin for us: Porsche has only remained Porsche by constantly changing.”

Michael Mauer, Head of Style Porsche, says: “The Mission X is a clear commitment to the core of the brand. The continuing, enhanced expression of our brand and product identity is an important compass for us to navigate the development of our series-production models. The concept study symbolizes a symbiosis of unmistakable motorsport DNA with a luxurious overall impression.”

Measuring approximately 177 inches long and 78.7 inches wide, the Mission X concept study is a relatively compact hypercar. With a wheelbase of 107.4 inches, it has the dimensions of the Carrera GT and 918 Spyder. For aerodynamic purposes, the concept car has staggered tires, with 20-inch wheels at the front and 21-inch wheels at the rear.

Design: classic brand elements reinterpreted
The Mission X represents the pinnacle of performance and modern luxury. At the same time, its sculpted form and muscular lines demonstrate that hypercars do not have to look aggressive. The low-slung body, which is less than 47.2 inches tall, is finished in Rocket Metallic – an elegant paint color specially designed for the concept study. Design elements in a carbon fiber are found below the beltline. These components have a satin finish and are therefore slightly colored, but their material structure remains recognizable.

The wheels of the concept study feature elaborate details: the rear axle is fitted with almost transparent aero blades, which are designed like turbines for better cooling of the brakes.

A lightweight glass dome with an exoskeleton made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) extends over both occupants. Le Mans-style doors are attached to the A-pillar and the roof; they open forwards and upwards. This type of door was previously used on the legendary Porsche 917 racing car. Another eye-catcher is the light signature: for the Mission X, the designers have reinterpreted the characteristic Porsche four-point graphic. The vertical base form of the headlights was inspired by historic racing cars such as the Porsche 906 and 908 and drawn well down towards the road. A high-tech support structure frames the LED light modules and presents the exposed narrow elements of daytime running lights and indicators. When activated, the light opens up like an eye blinking open. Fully illuminated, the headlights make a confident statement.

A full-length light unit that appears to float characterizes the rear of the Mission X. Transparent, illuminated Porsche lettering is a standout feature. The sculptural rear light emerges, as if suspended in the air, from a support structure and extends across the entire width of the vehicle in four segments. While charging, the ‘E’ of the Porsche lettering pulses.

One special detail is the modernized Porsche crest, which makes its debut on the Mission X. Brushed precious metal, a three-dimensional honeycomb structure, a refreshed heraldic beast and more subtle gold color – on close inspection, these are the differences between the modernized Porsche crest and its immediate forerunner. With its cleaner and more state-of-the-art execution, the refined crest communicates the character of Porsche. On the Mission X, it is found on the hood and steering wheel as well as in monochrome form on the wheel centers.

The driver focus can be seen in the asymmetry of the interior and its color concept. The two seats are colored differently. Apart from the leather pads in Andalusia Brown, the driver’s seat is Kalahari Grey and forms a single unit of color with the center console and the dashboard. The passenger seat is in the contrasting Andalusia Brown shade. Beyond the CFRP seat shells, and their six-point seatbelts integrated into the monocoque, further motorsport parallels include the open-top steering wheel, which has mode switches and shift paddles. There are multiple cameras on board. Recording starts as soon as the driver presses the Record button (REC) on the multi-purpose controller.

Another highlight is found on the passenger side, where there is a bayonet system embedded in the instrument panel to which a stopwatch module can be attached. For the Mission X, Porsche Design has created a special stopwatch module with an analogue and digital display. The clocks are designed for both racetrack and rally use and can display the lap times or vital data of the driver, among other information.

Technical vision: top marks in power-to-weight ratio, downforce and charging performance
Porsche exemplifies e-performance yet is also a pioneer in sustainable mobility. The concept study meets both objectives in full measure. If the Mission X goes into series production, then it should:
• be the fastest road-legal vehicle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife
• have a power-to-weight ratio of roughly one hp per 2.2 lbs.
• achieve downforce values that are well in excess of those delivered by the current 911 GT3 RS
• offer significantly improved charging performance with its 900-volt system architecture and charge roughly twice as quickly as the current Porsche frontrunner, the Taycan Turbo S

The battery is installed centrally behind the vehicle’s seats. This ‘e-core layout’ centers the mass in the car. As with a conventionally powered mid-engine car, this provides the basis for excellent agility.

Predecessors: innovative super sports cars from Porsche
The fastest series-production car of its time; first series-production Porsche to be made of carbon fiber, and the first road-legal vehicle to beat the seven-minute mark on the Nürburgring Nordschleife – the Porsche 959 (1985), Carrera GT (2003) and 918 Spyder (2013) were milestone models in the world of super sports cars. And that makes them the conceptual forerunners of the Mission X.

In 1985, the Porsche 959 made its debut as a technology platform. Its 443 hp six-cylinder twin-turbo boxer engine, combined with an aerodynamically optimized body, propelled the super sports car to a top speed of 197 mph – then the world record for a series-production sports car.
With its V10 engine and 605 hp, fierce design and, not least, its incomparable driving experience, the Porsche Carrera GT remains an icon among super sports cars to this day.

Porsche hybrid technology reached a spectacular zenith with the 918 Spyder. In September 2013, the 887 hp two-seater was the first road-approved vehicle to crack the seven-minute barrier on the 12.8-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife, completing the lap in 6:57 minutes. Porsche aims to stay true to this standard of the highest e-performance: our vision, should the Mission X go into series production, is for it to be the fastest road-legal vehicle on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
On our press microsite for the Porsche Mission X you will find both the detailed press kit and a generous selection of additional photos and video

About Porsche Cars North America, Inc. | One Porsche Drive, Atlanta, GA 30354 USA
Established in 1984, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) is the exclusive U.S. importer of the Porsche 911, 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, Macan, Cayenne, Panamera and Taycan. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, since 1998, PCNA is home to the first Porsche Experience Center in North America, which features two module-based 1.6 mile driver development tracks, a business center and Restaurant 356. The campus is also home to the U.S. headquarters of Porsche Classic. The company operates a second Porsche Experience Center near Los Angeles. That complex features a driver development track with eight educational modules totaling 4.1 miles, a business center, Restaurant 917 and the headquarters of Porsche Motorsport North America. PCNA supports 197 independently owned and operated Porsche Centers in the U.S., including supplying parts, service, marketing, and training. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the Porsche brand’s 75-year history of leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety, and efficiency. PCNA is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.



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THE ROLLS-ROYCE BOAT TAIL TIMEPIECES: AN ARTISTIC COLLABORATION WITH BOVET 1822

THE ROLLS-ROYCE BOAT TAIL TIMEPIECES: AN ARTISTIC COLLABORATION WITH BOVET 1822

Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is a pure expression of its owners’ interests, influences and passions, with every detail minutely considered. We have enjoyed working with BOVET 1822 to create a pair of exquisite timepieces that also serve as Boat Tail’s dashboard clocks. In doing so we have together created historically significant items of detail, precision, and beauty.

  • Rolls-Royce collaborates with Swiss master horologists BOVET 1822 to create unique timepieces for first Boat Tail coachbuilt commission
  • Pair of reversible tourbillon timepieces, each designed to be worn on the wrist, used as a table clock, pendant or pocket timepiece, or placed within the fascia as Boat Tail’s Timepiece
  • Timepieces and dashboard holder took 3,000 hours to develop and manufacture
  • Five-day power reserve and tourbillon mechanism ensure the timepieces keep perfect time when used as dashboard clocks

“Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is a pure expression of its owners’ interests, influences and passions, with every detail minutely considered. We have enjoyed working with BOVET 1822 to create a pair of exquisite timepieces that also serve as Boat Tail’s dashboard clocks. In doing so we have together created historically significant items of detail, precision, and beauty. These remarkable objets d’art, unique to the first iteration of Boat Tail, represent the finest examples of the skills and values shared by our two great luxury Houses.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“I am so proud of the BOVET 1822 team, who worked in tandem with their counterparts at Rolls-Royce to produce something truly spectacular. The owners of the coachbuilt car, and these bespoke timepieces, are personal friends, as well as valued collectors of BOVET 1822. It was important to do the very best for them – two completely unique pieces that are unlike anything we have ever done before.”
Pascal Raffy, Owner, BOVET 1822


A MOMENT IN TIME

The clock in a Rolls-Royce motor car frequently assumes a jewel-like status, often becoming a canvas for the client to tell the story of their commission in miniature. For Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, the recently unveiled, first of three, coachbuilt creations, in which every element has been created to the owners’ exact specifications, this iconic centrepiece has been elevated to new technical and aesthetic heights.

In a spirit of warm collaboration, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Swiss master watchmakers, BOVET 1822, have created a pair of unique timepieces for Boat Tail and its owners. This ambitious undertaking brought together designers, engineers and craftspeople from both luxury Houses, in a magnificent demonstration of their shared values of excellence, precision, heritage, artistry, innovation and attention to detail.

The timepieces are unique to both the horological and automotive worlds. Made as a pair – in lady’s and gentleman’s versions – they are reversible, and housed in BOVET 1822’s patented Amadeo case, which allows them to be worn on the wrist, or used as a table clock, pendant or pocket-watch, as well as being placed front and centre in Boat Tail’s fascia as the motor car’s own timepiece. Both are fitted with tourbillon mechanisms to ensure perfect accuracy.

IN KEEPING WITH TRADITION

BOVET 1822 initially earned its reputation making luxury pocket-watches for wealthy patrons in China; today, it is renowned worldwide for its exquisite timepieces featuring hand-painted dials, detailed engraving and finely finished visible mechanisms.

The timepieces, created for this first iteration of Boat Tail, have specially designed 18K white gold cases and feature matching front dials with the same Caleidolegno veneer found on the aft deck of Boat Tail itself, and are finished with the owner-couples’ names. The gentleman’s timepiece is highly polished; the lady’s is ornately engraved then filled with blue lacquer.

On the reverse side, the dials are more individual. The gentleman’s features an aventurine dial with the celestial arrangement of the night sky over the place of his birth on his birth date; the lady’s is decorated with an ornate miniature painting of a flower bouquet on a mother-of-pearl dial. This design is a traditional BOVET 1822 motif, chosen by and personalised for the owner.

Both reverse dials have hand-engraved Bespoke sculptures of Boat Tail, complete with wheels, door handle, mirrors and other fine details. By working closely together, the teams at Rolls-Royce and BOVET 1822 were able to achieve a precise colour match between the lacquer on this tiny work of art and the full-size motor car.

Further close cooperation was required to ensure the timepieces conformed to the demands of their unique role as motor car clocks. In watchmaking, weight is rarely an issue for a complex timepiece, but in this instance, there was a limit on the combined permissible weight of the timepieces and their holders. BOVET 1822 met this requirement by creating an entirely new 44mm white gold case. In addition, the timepieces and holders also had to be tested to automotive-industry standards for vibration and crash safety – something never previously undertaken on mechanisms of this kind.

At a conservative estimate, the timepieces’ design, engineering, sculptures, miniature painting, marquetry, bespoke movements and cases took a total of 3,000 hours to complete.

THE TRANSFORMATIVE TOURBILLON

When a pocket-watch is left static in one position for any length of time, the effect of gravity on key moving parts can impair its accuracy. At the end of the 18th Century, watchmakers solved this problem by developing the tourbillon, where the escapement and balance wheel are mounted in a cage that slowly revolves, cancelling out the gravitational effect. In a wristwatch, the wearer’s natural physical movements diminish the need for the tourbillon. However, when that same timepiece is mounted vertically in a car dashboard for many hours at a time, the tourbillon truly comes into its own.

BOVET 1822 is a specialist in tourbillion timepieces, for which it holds a number of patents and has received many awards including the Aiguille d’Or, watchmaking’s highest honour. It is also one of the only companies in the watch industry to manufacture its own spirals and regulating organs. To reduce potential impact from the vibration from the car, the tourbillon has pivots rather than the traditional ball bearings; a heavier balance wheel and an increased oscillation rate to aid precision. Finally, the tourbillon bridge is finished with a miniaturised Spirit of Ecstasy handcrafted in gold.

The timepieces have an astonishing five-day power reserve, rather than the 42-48 hours of a ‘standard’ watch, to allow for their role as motor car clocks.

DASHBOARD HOLDER MECHANISM: PERFECT PRECISION 

The holder mechanism is unique to Rolls-Royce Boat Tail and was designed by BOVET 1822 engineers and the Rolls-Royce Coachbuild design team from a blank sheet of paper. Although in a Rolls-Royce vibration is naturally reduced to an absolute minimum – undetectable vibrations are inevitably still present. This highly complex mounting assembly serves to isolate the timepieces from these micro-vibrations. It also ensures they operate silently, are easy to mount and remove from the dashboard and, above all, remain safe and secure.

These challenges were unlike any normally encountered in watchmaking and car manufacture. From the start, BOVET 1822 was determined to follow a purely mechanical approach in keeping with its tradition of Swiss handcrafted production. The engineers’ innovative solution was to keep all the system’s moving parts external, with the dashboard providing a solid setting for the holder. Finally, Rolls-Royce ensured that when the holder is not housing one of the time pieces, it can be covered with a beautiful engraved and lacquered display plaque.  Below the clock, the dashboard is fitted with a special drawer, lined with the same leather as Boat Tail’s seats, which serves as a safekeeping receptacle to house the timepieces, straps, chain and pendant when not in use.

ROLLS-ROYCE BOAT TAIL TIMEPIECES FACTS & FIGURES

Case Size: Bespoke; diameter – 44mm; thickness – 14mm

Case Type: 18K white gold Fleurier case; BOVET 1822 bow at 12 o’clock; 49 components

Case Function: Amadeo Convertible System; reversible; pocket watch on chain; pendant watch on necklace; table clock; dashboard clock

Case Finishing: Men’s timepiece is high polish finish; Women’s timepiece is hand-engraved then filled with blue lacquer

Movement: Bespoke 60-second tourbillon; manual-wind; 284 components (without dial and hands); 21,600 v/h

Functions: Hours and minutes on both sides (reverse hand-fitting); power reserve indicator on front

Power Reserve: 5 days

Men’s Front Dial: Hand-made wood marquetry dial; hand-engraved Spirit of Ecstasy sculpture fixed to the tourbillon bridge; “A Special Timepiece Commission” on the dial

Women’s Front Dial: Hand-made wood marquetry dial; hand-engraved 18K white gold Spirit of Ecstasy sculpture; “A Special Timepiece Commission” on the dial

Men’s Reverse Dial: Blue aventurine glass with sky chart of owner’s birth day and birth place; hand-engraved bespoke Boat Tail sculpture, lacquered to match the colour of the car then miniature painted by hand to add the details; lady’s name engraved on the mirror-polished (by hand by the watchmaker) tourbillon bridge

Women’s Reverse Dial: Miniature hand-painting of flower bouquet on mother-of-pearl dial (based on historical BOVET 1822 timepiece, customised); hand-engraved bespoke Boat Tail sculpture, lacquered to match the colour of the car then miniature painted by hand to add the details; gentleman’s name (engraved on the mirror-polished (by hand by the watchmaker) tourbillon bridge

Dashboard Holder: Aluminium and Titanium; 51 components; Engraving of two Rolls-Royce Boat Tails in a white gold case, to match that of the timepieces, to place inside when the timepiece is not present (100% engineered, designed, and produced in-house by BOVET)

In-car Drawer: to hold timepieces, straps, chain, necklace

Independent laboratory certification: shock, temperature, humidity, vibration

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Bugatti Presents the Centodieci at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2021 and celebrates 30 years of the legendary Bugatti EB110

Bugatti Presents the Centodieci at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2021 and celebrates 30 years of the legendary Bugatti EB110

With its timeless beauty, Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como has provided a residency for the aristocracy, princesses, marquises, sultans and tsars for centuries. Considered one of the most breath-taking architectural works of the sixteenth century, every year, this elegant five-star resort welcomes automotive enthusiasts from all over the globe to the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Here, they can appreciate the spectacle of some of the finest automobiles and motorcycles, in both production and prototype form, ever created. This year, visitors could also enjoy Bugatti’s stunning Centodieci, which the French luxury brand was presenting in the ‘Concept Cars & Prototypes’ category over the previous weekend from Saturday 2nd to Sunday 3rd October 2021.

With its timeless beauty, Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como has provided a residency for the aristocracy, princesses, marquises, sultans and tsars for centuries. Considered one of the most breath-taking architectural works of the sixteenth century, every year, this elegant five-star resort welcomes automotive enthusiasts from all over the globe to the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Here, they can appreciate the spectacle of some of the finest automobiles and motorcycles, in both production and prototype form, ever created. This year, visitors could also enjoy Bugatti’s stunning Centodieci, which the French luxury brand was presenting in the ‘Concept Cars & Prototypes’ category over the previous weekend from Saturday 2nd to Sunday 3rd October 2021.

Bugatti unveiled the Centodieci – which translates as 110 in Italian – during Monterey Car Week in California at the Quail in 2019 to celebrate the company’s 110th anniversary. Inspired by the legendary Bugatti EB110 of 1991 and powered by the 8.0-liter W16 engine producing 1,600PS, just 10 Centodieci units will be hand-built at Bugatti’s Molsheim Atelier and be delivered to customers next year. All ten Centodieci models had already been accounted for by customers prior to the car’s unveiling.

A Concours d’Élégance for automobiles was first held at Villa d’Este back in 1929, and Bugatti has enjoyed a long and successful relationship with the event. Recent highlights have included the Bugatti La Voiture Noire taking the premiere prize in the ‘Concept Cars & Prototypes’ category the last time the event was held in 2019. Models from Bugatti’s illustrious past, such as the 1937 Type 57S four-seater sports tourer, the 1934 Type 59 Grand Prix car and the 1938 Type 57SC Atlantic, have all been awarded significant accolades in recent years.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Bugatti EB110. The groundbreaking and first supercar of its time represents the mid-period of Bugatti’s history, when Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. was based in the famous ‘Blue Factory’ in Campogalliano in Italy under the stewardship of Romano Artioli. Introduced in 1991 to mark 110 years since the birth of Ettore Bugatti in 1881, the EB110 elevated the supercar genre to a new level. It featured a revolutionary engineering package that included a carbon fiber chassis and a 3.5-litre 12-cylinder engine with five valves per cylinder and quadruple turbochargers. The transmission was also incorporated within the engine block to create more space for cabin occupants. Exemplary grip, traction and safety were delivered by four-wheel-drive, another key D.N.A. strand that remains pivotal to today’s production Bugatti models.

The historic supercar model – a blue (originally silver painted in “Grigio Chiaro metallizzato”) EB110 SuperSport – presented at Villa d’Este in the class “The Next Generation: Hypercars of the 90s” was formerly owned by Romano Artioli. The Italian entrepreneur, who relaunched Bugatti as Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. in 1987, prior to the company’s closure in 1995, has fond memories of the development of this revolutionary supercar. “While we were at the premiere of the EB110 in Paris in 1991, the engineers back at Campogalliano were urging us to return swiftly to the Blue Factory, as they were eager to begin work on the EB110 Supersport version. Everyone was focused on reducing weight and boosting power, while keeping in mind that I was ferocious that the safety characteristics of the car be upheld.”

The final result was a quite remarkable weight reduction of nearly 150kg from the original configuration, and an increase in performance from 560PS to 612PS, with the engine developed entirely in-house at Campogalliano. Immediately after the EB110 SuperSport was presented to the world’s press at Salon de l’Automobile in Geneva, the team took the car to the Nardò circuit in the South of Italy, to carry out the homologation tests.

“After a warm-up lap we set the world record with a speed of 351 km/h and an acceleration of 3.2 seconds from 0 to 100 km,” recalls Artioli proudly. And it didn’t stop there. The car also set a speed record on snow and ice at 296km/h, while a Bugatti EB110 GT powered by natural gas achieved at top speed of 344.7 km/h.

“I left my heart in my Supersport. No other car gives the same sensation of power, control and safety in every road condition as the EB110 – and with such beautiful style. I could not be more proud for “her” to be at the Concours d’Elegance in Villa D’Este.

“The Centodieci Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este is one of the jewels in the crown of the automotive season,” explains Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. President Stephan Winkelmann. “After the event was lost to the pandemic in 2020, it is even more special for Bugatti to return to the wonderful location of Villa d’Este and present our Centodieci to customers and friends of the brand from all around the globe. And of course, the event is even more exciting with the presence of the personal Bugatti EB110 Supersport “America” owned once by Romano Artioli himself. This seminal supercar represents the second period of Bugatti’s history, and gave our designers and engineers the inspiration for the Centodieci.”

The Bugatti Centodieci was presented as a static display within the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este ‘Concept Cars & Prototypes’ area on Saturday 2nd October and again on Sunday 3rd October, the car also participated in the dynamic presentation parade.

 

 

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BENTLEY BLOWER CONTINUATION SERIES

BENTLEY BLOWER CONTINUATION SERIES

One of the most iconic cars from Bentley’s history – Sir Tim Birkin’s 1929 supercharged 4½-litre “Blower” – is to be reborn with a new build of 12 matching cars, each individually handcrafted by a team of specialists from Bentley’s bespoking and coachwork division, Mulliner. Together, the new cars will form the world’s first pre-war race car continuation series.

Only four original ‘Team Blowers’ were built for racing by Birkin, in the late 1920s. All were campaigned on the racetracks of Europe, with the most famous car – Birkin’s own Team Car No. 2, registration UU 5872 – racing at Le Mans and playing a pivotal role in the factory Bentley Speed Six victory in 1930.

Now, using a combination of generations of handcraftsmanship skills and the very latest digital technology, the 1929 Team Blower will be the master example for 12 continuations – one for each race that the original fleet of four Team Blowers competed in.

USING ORIGINAL BLOWER DNA

Bentley’s own Team Blower – chassis number HB 3403 – will be disassembled to its individual components, before each part is catalogued and meticulously scanned in 3D to create a complete digital model of the entire car. Using the original 1920s moulds and tooling jigs, and an array of traditional hand tools alongside the latest manufacturing technology, 12 sets of parts will then be created, before Bentley’s skilled heritage technicians assemble the new Blowers. The 12 continuations will be identical wherever possible to the original – mechanically and aesthetically– with only minimal hidden changes dictated by modern safety concerns.

The original car will then be reassembled, with the heritage team taking the opportunity to complete a detailed inspection and sympathetic mechanical restoration where required.

The 90-year old Bentley Team Blower is still used regularly on the road, including completion Italy’s Mille Miglia, daily hill runs at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and a recent tour up the California coastline. The Blower was seen at Monterey Car week 2019 including a parade at Laguna Seca and culminating in the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where the car appeared with two of the other three Team Blowers.

A CONTINUATION OF ORIGINAL ELEMENTS

As continuations of the original Team Blower, each of the new Continuation Series cars will feature four-cylinder, 16-valve engines with an aluminium crankcase with cast iron cylinder liners and non-detachable cast-iron cylinder head. The supercharger will be an exact replica of the Amherst Villiers Mk IV roots-type supercharger, helping the 4398 cc engine to develop 240 bhp @ 4,200 rpm. The car’s structure will be a pressed steel frame, with half-elliptic leaf spring suspension with copies of Bentley & Draper dampers. Recreations of Bentley-Perrot 40 cm (17.75”) mechanical drum brakes and worm and sector steering complete the chassis.

It will take Mulliner approximately two years of meticulous work to complete the 12-car series. Prices will be on application.

STORY OF THE BLOWER

No other pre-war Bentley had an impact like the supercharged 4½-litre ‘Blower’ Bentley. While it never won an endurance race, the Blower Bentley was the outright fastest race car of the day, and counted amongst its fans the author Ian Fleming – who later decided that his famous fictional secret agent James Bond would drive a supercharged 4½-litre Bentley, with the often-associated rival British sports car merely the MI6 “pool car”.

The Blower Bentleys were born from a philosophy devised by Sir Tim Birkin – notable racing driver and Bentley Boy – to extract more speed from the racing Bentleys of the day. While W.O Bentley’s method was to increase engine capacity – from 3-litre, to 4½-litre, to 6½-litre – Birkin was impressed by the Roots-type supercharger developed by British engineer Amherst Villiers, which boosted the 4½’s power from 130 bhp to 240 bhp in race tune. He persuaded Bentley Chairman Woolf Barnato to sanction production of 55 supercharged 4½-litre Bentleys, with five allocated for competition. The car on Bentley’s heritage fleet – UU 5872 – is the second of the four ‘Team’ cars developed at Birkin & Co’s workshops at Welwyn Garden City with funding from wealthy heiress the Hon. Dorothy Paget.

www.bentleymotors.com

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