British specialist Lunaz Design has created what it says is “the rarest recycled electric vehicle in the world”, converting a 1961 Bentley S2 Continental, one of only four ever made, into a zero-emissions powerhouse.
Has he saved a classic for future generations or committed an automotive sacrilege? you decide But the car is presented as a showcase of what Lunaz can do by combining the world of valuable classic cars and the latest EV technology.
In its original specification, the Bentley was powered by a 6.2 liter V8 petrol engine. Today, now completely “restored and reimagined”, it is equipped with Lunaz’s proprietary modular electric powertrain.
It’s the last chapter for a car that has a colorful history. In the early 1960s, a small number of luxury car bodies were still being produced by independent coachbuilders to customer specifications, 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 changed his mind at the last minute, as the car has only ever existed in its current two-door form.
In 1967, the car changed hands for the first time. Over the following decades it went to various owners as far away as Germany and Japan before returning to the UK. The Bentley Continental was always the rarest S2 variant: standard and long-wheelbase versions accounted for more than 80 percent of the total number produced.
Luna’s “recycling” process begins with a detailed inspection and evaluation to determine chassis, powertrain and suspension configurations. Engineers use 3D scanning to create detailed computer-aided design (CAD) models as a basis for renovation and reconstruction.
The car’s body is stripped down to bare metal and restored to like-new condition using traditional coachbuilding and restoration techniques. All external and internal materials are repaired and coated: everything that cannot be reused, down to the nylon of the seat belt cord, is recycled.
The internal combustion engine and its associated systems, lubricants and other fluids are removed and recovered, replaced by the Lunaz electric powertrain. The modular design allows engineers to adjust individual components to reflect the car’s character and/or the owner’s personal preferences. Battery cells, inverters and motors are original equipment manufactured to Lunaz specifications by European suppliers.
Brakes, steering, suspension and electrics are modernized “to match the customer’s dynamic expectations as well as current safety standards.”
As specified by the customer, the Bentley S2 Continental is now equipped with a 298kW clean air powertrain. It can accelerate to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds. The suspension is a fully adjustable coil spring system with a lever arm damper. This can be configured electronically from the cockpit. The brakes, which also incorporate a battery regeneration system, have been upgraded to six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston variants at the rear.
All seat leather is made from leather tanned from naturally fallen olive leaves, front and rear cabin carpet and trunk is made from 100% regenerated nylon fiber and incorporates a holder made from 100% plastic bottles recycled Likewise, all the wood veneers used in the dashboard and other areas are sustainably sourced, certified by the British Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).
Previous Lunaz projects include Aston Martin, Jaguar, Range Rover and Rolls-Royce models.
