Bentley has announced that it's in possession of the most impressive wood in the industry, which can be inserted into a Flying Spur with immediate effect. Claiming it as a world first for the automotive sector, the wood is machine carved with a three-dimensional diamond pattern and left unglazed.
The “striking open pore veneer” comprises 150 unique diamond shapes and is part of the Bentley Mulliner Collection. It's available as a “luxury design statement,” according to Bentley, although we're not told how much it costs. We dread to think. Punters can have the pattern machined into a single slab of either American Walnut or American Cherry timber, two of the most sough-after sustainable woods in the world, according to Bentley. Each panel is inserted into the rear doors of a Flying Spur.
Bentley first showed off the possibility of 3D machining for wood in the EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, meaning it’s taken Bentley half a decade to perfect the process of enhancing its wood. The company says that the original panels in the Speed 6 “received wide acclaim” and were inspired by the leather used for the diamond quilted areas in Bentley Mulliner spec interiors.
The process of getting the 3D wood production-ready was complex, requiring 18-months of specific development by experts in wood to perfect a flawless finish and adequate durability. Here’s Bentley explaining exactly what goes into it:
“The Three-Dimensional Wood parts are not made using veneers, as is typically applied to the fascia and waist rails. Instead, each is created from a single block of timber. To achieve the three-dimensional surface, skilled operators carve the wood with a multi-axis routing machine to a tolerance of 0.1mm, less than the thickness of a human hair, hand-finishing the cuts for perfect results. An open-pore lacquer is then applied, allowing the true colour and texture of the wood to shine through for a refined, natural appearance.”
The latest Flying Spur is the third generation of the car and was released in 2019, becoming Bentley’s flagship model and signalling a death knell for the Mulsanne. It’s powered by a 6.0-litre 12-cylinder twin turbo engine and costs from £170,000.
Keyword: Bentley unveils an especially impressive wood