You download this app and launch it. At some point, it plays a movie, and as you watch it, the app uses your device’s camera to record your facial and emotional reactions. Based on these measures of engagement, Bentley will define “your personal vision of extraordinary.” Then a bespoke Bentayga is recommended to you. Wait, what?
How eccentric can somebody get, after all? Hint: Bentley drivers are cool enough to drink Dom Perignon champagne. That is just one of the subtle messages the luxury automaker is sending with this app.
We’ve played with it for a while, and we must say it’s an interesting marketing approach. It would have been almost perfect if they sent it straight to their premium sympathizers instead of releasing them to the public. Why? You’ll tell us why after you’ve tried it.
So the luxury carmaker released this thing they call Bentley Inspirator and it’s here to “launch a commissioning experience like no other, resulting in a tailored specification that is as individual as you.”
Two autoevolution editors have tried it. One was serious about it and the result was the Bentley Bentayga Sygnet, while the other fooled around in front of the camera to see if anything changes. When we say fool around, imagine a clown at the circus, that bad. Bentley’s top-notch configurator seemed to associate that with Bentley Bentayga Rich Ebony arrangement. We liked the first a lot more, but we’ll leave it up to you to decide which is best.
After the facial recognition sensors analyze your reactions and allegedly crack your personality, they also explain how they do it. “You are shown why certain colors and materials were suggested for you, and how your interaction with the video content resulted in your recommended Bentayga specification. This is then published in a special digital magazine stored within the app.”
Unfortunately, you need an iPhone, or iPad, since the app will not be available on Android devices, but we’re sure you know somebody who uses an Apple phone. In another train of thought, however, we have to say this app is kind of freaking us out.
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