Lunaz beats Bentley with electric Flying Spur
Bentley has pledged to be an all-electric brand by 2030, but the first EV to wear a “Flying B” badge has already been built by Lunaz.
The British-based specialists have previously electrified classic Rolls-Royces and Range Rovers, and now it’s the Bentley Continental’s turn. Lunaz says it can convert the S1, S2, and S3 in two-door or four-door forms and will even offer the Drophead Coupe.
The first car to be built is a 1961 S3 Continental Flying Spur by H.J. Mulliner. Luxuriantly finished in twin tones of green, the car—like every Lunaz—underwent a complete renovation. The leather and walnut interior was updated to include a touchscreen infotainment system, and modern air conditioning was installed.
The Continental features updated suspension, brakes, and power steering. Lunaz hasn’t released detailed specification for the electric powertrain, but its Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud was fitted with an 80-kWh battery pack that was said to deliver 300 miles on a full charge. A larger 120-kWh pack went into to its eight-seater Phantom to provide the same driving distance, so that is a likely target for the Bentley as well. Prices for the electric Continental start at £350,000 ($486,000), which compares favorably with the cost of a concours-condition car.
The addition of Bentley to the Lunaz portfolio coincides with the company’s rapid expansion. Moving to a new 40,000-square-foot facility in the Silverstone Technology Cluster, Lunaz is expanding its workforce to 100 engineers and artisans.
“The Bentley Continental is the definitive British grand touring machine,” says Lunaz founder David Lorenz. “Customers across the globe asked us to create the world’s first electric expressions of these iconic cars. The result marries the beauty and presence of these extraordinary cars with a proven answer to the key questions of reliability, usability, and sustainability that surrounds classic car ownership.”
