When you’re offered the chance to test a Bentley Bentayga, you’d be silly to pass up the opportunity.
Even more so when the actual vehicle being offered for loan is the British automaker’s showpiece.
We’re talking about the ‘Belonging Bentayga’ – a luxury SUV covered in artwork.
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The first thought running through your mind is undoubtedly ‘why would someone be allowed to draw all over a Bentley?’ – but there’s a very valid reason why.
As the next step in its mission to become the most diverse luxury car manufacturer in the world, Bentley launched the ‘Belonging Bentayga’.
This unique, hand-painted Alpine Green Bentayga Hybrid features different skylines and well-known buildings from across the world.
These include Dubai, New York, London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Venice, Tokyo, and Hong Kong – each side of the SUV representing a different continent.
The art piece that displays 29 different landmarks was drawn from memory by Stephen Wiltshire MBE, a British architectural artist and autistic savant, who is known for his ability to draw any landscape after seeing it just once.
The design also includes many drawings of people, of varying nationalities, united in one design.
Born in London to West Indian parents, Stephen was mute as a child and was diagnosed with autism at the age of three.
However, his family and teachers soon realized that rather than using words, Stephen communicated through the language of drawing.
He started with animals before graduating to buses and finally buildings.
His sketches, detailed cityscapes that feature a subtle wit, have earned him plaudits from around the world.
Interestingly, though, this Bentley Bentayga is the third such piece of art unveiled by the company to mark its commitment to diversity.
Artwork aside, under the skin it’s a standard Bentayga S Hybrid.
That means it’s got a 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 335 bhp.
However, paired to that engine is an electric motor for a combined total output of 456 bhp and 516 lb-ft of torque.
That power’s good enough for a 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) time of 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 158 mph (254 km/h).
Being the Bentayga S model, it comes with a sleek body kit comprising black painted side sills, front and rear bumper details, and an elongated rear tailgate.
Alongside dark-tinted headlamps and taillamps, the matrix grille and tailpipes are also finished in black, as is much of the exterior brightware.
Although red-painted brake calipers come as standard, the model tested featured black-painted calipers, peering through exclusive 22-inch black-painted wheels.
Inside the cabin, the interior features handcrafted black leather and suede-style Dinamica, with orange accents used on the seats, as well as the steering wheel and gear selector.
There’s no mistaking the identity of the car either, with ‘S’ badging found on the fascia and the treadplates, as well as unique ‘S’ embroidery on the seat backs.
Bentley’s legendary attention to detail is found throughout, even in the digital elements of the car’s interior, where the graphics in the driver’s instrument panel reflect its sporting theme.
All in all, the Belonging Bentayga was a pleasure to drive, and attracted attention for all the right reasons.
