Breitling timepiece celebrates Bentley’s cool record
BREITLING for Bentley’s new super-sporty titanium model was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show to celebrate the ice speed record set two weeks ago by Finland’s four-time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen in a Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible.
Driving the all-wheel drive, biofuel-powered 6-litre, 12-cylinder Continental Supersports convertible on the perilous frozen Baltic Sea, off the coast of Finland, Kankkunen achieved a speed of 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h) eclipsing his own ice speed record of 199.83 mph (321.6 km/h) set in 2007 in the Continental GT.
Both the new Supersports ‘Ice Speed Record’ convertible and Juha’s record-breaking Supersports are on display on the Bentley stand at the Geneva Show. The new model will be limited to just 100 cars worldwide.
The dramatically styled new convertible will be built at Bentley’s Crewe factory. The Supersports ‘Ice Speed Record’ car is distinguished by its vibrant and muscular styling, cues that reinforce the uncompromising performance credentials of this extreme Bentley convertible.
Bentley’s designers have selected three ‘stand-out’ exterior paint colours for the new convertible: Beluga, Quartzite and, fittingly, Arctica White, all with red-accented detailing. These colours are complemented by a Dark Grey Metallic soft top with Bentley’s refined’ three-ply composite construction. The unique appearance of the soft top is created in the outer layer by a ‘grey’ acrylic fibre with a semi-transparent ‘metallic look’ in a twill weave construction.
Unique to the ‘Ice Speed Record’ car, the high-gloss carbon fibre on the dashboard, centre console and roof panel, features a unique red weave. The theme continues with Pillar Box red piping to seats and doors, and Pillar Box Red contrast stitching to seats, door casings, steering wheel and gearshift paddles.
The front seats and floor mats also feature embroidered ‘Supersports’ legends while the signature Breitling dashboard clock also has a red accent.
The new Breitling for Bentley watch powerfully complements the design of the Supersports convertible. With its light and sturdy titanium chassis, its “dashboard-style” dial enhanced by three ringed counters and its bezel with a typically Bentley-style raised knurled motif, the Supersports Light Body limited series evokes a sophisticated high-powered coupé car.
In tribute to its sporting qualities, Breitling has equipped it with an extremely intelligent and exclusive double-counter system, featuring a central minute hand and a twin-handed totaliser enabling one to read the elapsed hours and minutes at a glance just as one usually reads standard time on a watch.