We're always pleased to see a Bentley
First rule of Bentley.
You NEVER question what Bentley does. EVER.
Second rule of Bentley.
Please read above.
That's because Bentley is a law unto itself.
As it should be.
After all, it's the revered purveyor of vehicles to royalty. And figures from the world of celebrity and popular culture. And footballers, alas.
The doyens of taste. The guardians of automotive discretion. The brand of choice to Manchester City midfielders.
So when Bentley tells folk it's manufactured a strange-shaped ‘baton’ to be relayed across the globe you don’t mock. You instead sit up, listen and learn.
Which is exactly what we did, before relaying this information to you.
No sign of Usain Bentley....
SHOCK NEWS. Bentley DON’T Make New Car. Make Baton Instead
To commemorate two decades of production of the Continental GT, a unique ‘Bentley baton’ has been hewn from granite (or some such mystical rock found in the Crewe postcode) and travelled extensively this past six months.
A bit like The Grand Tour. Minus a large tent, a studio audience and controversy-courting presenters.
That’s a baton, by the by. NOT be confused with the Bentley Batur. Which isn’t a baton, but a Conti GT in an even posher frock.
Peaky Bentley's...
From Europe and the Middle East, to ports of call in China, Asia Pacific and America, the baton has now been returned to its spiritual home at Bentley’s Cheshire HQ. Where it will form part of the company’s prestigious ‘Heritage’ collection.
Returning to source, basically.
As it was somewhere at Bentley’s top secret Pym Lane location that its clandestine skunkwerks team diligently crafted what we observe in all its natural glory hereabouts.
Bearing all the hallmarks synonymous with Bentley’s legendary build quality, the baton was created as a core component of the ‘20 drives for 20 years’ global event. Which saw 20 invited guest drivers get behind the wheel of a succession of models from the Continental GT range.
Hand-picked for their potential clout where it matters most in the social media sphere, the baton-handlers were made up of content creators and motoring journalists.
These chosen ones then got to drive various Conti GT’s amid a backdrop of some of the world’s most instantly recognizable land and cityscapes.
Which we think we can all agree on, sounds like a truly hateful gig.
Ann Summers might have something to say about copyright..
Tell Me More….
Inspired by the very existence of the Continental GT itself, the baton has been endowed with the same degree of meticulous refinement which epitomises all Bentley vehicles.
Finished in Cypress Green, it pays homage to the very first Bentley Continental GT.
In its physical form, the baton showcases an intriguing, asymmetrical twist, said to visually resemble the blade of an aircraft propeller.
Meanwhile, what Bentley describes as a ‘knurled cap’ allows access to the baton’s interior. On which note, we’re reliably informed this particular element is modelled on the GT’s drive mode selector.
Housed within the baton, an almost mythical scroll consists of the signatures of all 20 of the relay participants mentioned above.
Plaza'd to see you....
Bentley Says…
To explain more as to the baton’s curious aesthetic, its Head of Design Collaborations obliged. Not us, but Newspress.
Shedding light on the baton, Chris Cooke said: “Every element of the baton sculpture was inspired by the Continental GT, and there is purpose in every form.”
He went on to elaborate on this by adding; “The end cap, for example, shows a simplified graphic of the Continental GT with its three feature lines; the Bentley powerline from the front wheel arch along the car’s flanks; the flyline of the roof; and the muscular haunch over the rear wheel.”
Cooke concluded; “Hold the baton horizontally, and as you turn it in your hands you will see each of those lines in the contours of the sculpture.”
Of course, we will have to take Bentley's word for it, as we’ll never get to hold this automotive accoutrement in the palm of our hands.
The green car and the green car had a race....
Aside From The When, Where, Which And Who…..Just WHY?
Why?
To symbolically mark the 20 year-spanning occasion of the Bentley Continental GT, as we casually alluded to earlier.
A landmark vehicle which pretty much changed the face of Bentley and subsequently opened the marquee up to a wider, newer buying demographic who might have previously overlooked the brand.
The first-generation Continental GT launched in 2003 and marked a significant shift in the fortunes of the company, and is representative of the first all-new Bentley of the modern era.
Other firsts which were delivered by the Continental GT grand tourer included its all-wheel drive functionality, together with the debut of the mightily impressive, W12 engine. A power plant that stood the test of time and is seen as absolutely pivotal to Bentley’s latter successes and achievements.
The Continental GT also immediately became the fastest four-seat coupe in the world on its launch, thanks to a top speed in excess of 190mph and a 0 - 62mph acceleration time of 4.7 seconds.
Which for something which tips the scales at roughly the same weight as Chatsworth House, is no mean feat.
With little in the way of peers by which to compare at the time, the Continental GT reigned supreme in its class, and ultimately invented/defined a new market sector.
WARNING: Contains Shmee 150
Anyway, Back To The Baton…
Well, it’s a baton, isn’t it.
And it’s been all around the world like Lisa Stansfield and Phileas Fogg.
Now to be discovered in the unofficial capital of Cheshire.
The end.