The latest addition to the Royal Fleet is none other than the long awaited Bentley Bentayga SUV.
The Royal Fleet, housed at the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, currently consists of 8 state limousines which are used for public and ceremonial occasions. The fleet currently boasts two Bentleys, three Rolls Royce and three Daimlers. The first Bentley was presented to the Queen Elizabeth II on her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and was specially designed by a team from Bentley with input from the Queen herself, the Duke of Edinburgh and Her Majesty’s Head Chauffer.
The Queen was impressed by the new Bentley Bentayga while test driving a prototype at her Balmoral Estate a few weeks ago. The car will be used for hunting expeditions replacing the green Land Rover previously favoured by Her Majesty.
According to Bentley, the Bentayga is “the fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world”, featuring a W12 engine with a top speed of 187 mph (301 km/h). Not just a show-off vehicle, it can also easily tow up to 3,500 kg making it suitable for off-road conditions.
Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, reflects the company’s 95 year history of producing high performance luxury cars in his statement: “The Bentayga is truly the Bentley of SUVs. It redefines luxury in the SUV sector and offers a genuine Bentley experience in any environment, thanks to a combination of unparalleled attention to detail, go-anywhere ability and cutting-edge technology.”