British specialist Lunaz Design has created what it claims is "the world's rarest upcycled electric vehicle", by converting a 1961 Bentley S2 Continental - one of only four ever made - to zero-emissions power.
Has it saved a classic for future generations or committed automotive sacrilege? You decide. But the car is being held up as a showcase of what Lunaz can do in blending the worlds of valuable classic cars and the latest EV technology.
In its original specification, the Bentley was powered by a 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine. Today, now completely "restored and reimagined", it’s equipped with Lunaz’s proprietary modular electric powertrain.
It's the latest chapter for a car that has a colourful history. In the early 1960s, a small number of luxury car bodies were still being produced by independent coachbuilders to the customer’s specification, on a "rolling chassis". According to the Bentley's build sheets, the first owner initially commissioned a four-door body from London coachbuilder James Young; but he evidently had a change of heart at the last minute, since the car has only ever existed in its present two-door form.
READ MORE
In 1967, the car changed hands for the first time. Over the decades that followed, it went to various owners as far afield as Germany and Japan before returning to the UK. The Bentley Continental was always the rarest S2 variant – the Standard and Long Wheelbase versions represented more than 80 per cent of the total number produced.
The Luna "upcycling" process starts with a detailed inspection and assessment to determine the chassis, powertrain, and suspension configurations. Engineers use 3D scanning to create detailed computer aided design (CAD) models as the basis for renovation and reconstruction.
The car body is stripped down to bare metal and returned to as-new condition using traditional coachbuilding and restoration techniques. Any external and internal materials are repaired and recoated: anything that can’t be reused, down to the nylon in the seatbelt cord, is recycled.
The internal combustion engine and its associated systems, lubricants and other fluids are removed and reclaimed, replaced with Lunaz’s electric powertrain. The modular design allows engineers to adjust individual components to reflect the car’s character and/or the owner’s personal preferences. The battery cells, inverters and motors are all original equipment made to Lunaz’s specification by European suppliers.
Brakes, steering, suspension and electrics are modernised "to bring them into line with the dynamic expectations of the customer as well as current safety standards".
As specified by the client, the Bentley S2 Continental is now equipped with a clean-air 298kW powertrain. It can accelerate to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds. The suspension is a fully adjustable coil-spring system with a lever arm damper. This is configurable electronically from the cabin. Brakes, which also incorporate a battery regeneration system, have been upgraded to six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston variants in the rear.
All seat leather is made from hides tanned using naturally-fallen olive leaves, the carpet in the front and rear cabins and boot is made from 100 per cent regenerated nylon fibre and incorporates a backing made from 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles. Similarly, all the wood veneers used on the dashboard and other areas are from sustainable sources, certified by the British Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).
Previous Lunaz projects include Aston Martin, Jaguar, Range Rover and Rolls-Royce models.
