Bentley sources new veneer from dinosaur era
Bentley takes great pride in offering customers the finest leather and veneers but now a 200-million-year-old stone will form the basis of the marque’s most exclusive veneer. The polar opposite of lightweight carbon fibre, this stone veneer is so far available in the Continental and Flying Spur although we foresee Bentley Bentayga owners demanding something similar.
Sourced in India, the stone slate and quartzite veneers are just 0.1mm thick and its translucent properties are said to show off the stone’s natural grain, which we’d guess changes with the ambient light. Hues and patterns that are far more evolving and lifelike than a normal wood or metal finish but at a premium that Mother Earth wants you to pay for.
Four colours are available: Galaxy, Autumn White, Terra Red or Copper and a glassfibre resin is carefully applied to preserve those unusual qualities – a stone that’s survived this long hardly needs protection.
“Bentley is exploring new, fine and rare materials to offer our customers even more bespoke tailoring and choice,” explains Geoff Dowding, Director of Mulliner Operations. “Stone veneers are only the beginning of what we plan to do with this luxurious and unique material.”
Are stones in cars a new thing? Citroen’s DS Crossback which we saw at the Tokyo Motor Show last year featured granite in the cabin, although that is an interior option unlikely to pass feasibility studies.
