Photo: edited by autoevolution
People can do many things for love, but envy is the sort of emotion that makes one go the extra length. Rolls-Royce chief executive officer Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes did just that at the launch of the eighth-gen Phantom, throwing shade at the Volkswagen Group’s sought-after Bentley Bentayga SUV.
But first, it should be highlighted that the Bentayga is the first of its kind. An even more luxurious behemoth than the most lavishly-specced Range Rover, the Audi Q7-derived gentle giant needn’t make any excuses for what it is. Or the force-fed W12 engine. Or the mind-blowingly expensive Tourbillion clock.
In fact, the Bentayga became an instant hit for Bentley from day one. In the U.S., for example, the British automaker sold 884 units of the damn thing in 2016, joined by 988 in Europe. Of the 11,817 Bentley vehicles sold all across the world in 2016, more than half are Bentayga SUVs (5,586). Make no mistake about it, such a success attracts both praise and naysayers.
Rolls-Royce’s head honcho is one of the latter, telling Automotive News the following: “We are not using mass-manufactured body shells. That limits what you can do on the design side, and it undermines exclusivity massively. You don't want a camouflaged [Audi] Q7 in that segment. You want to have a true Rolls-Royce." Shots fired, but Mueller-Oetvoes’ bluster is off the mark.
With all due respect, what Rolls-Royce calls “Architecture of Luxury” is a platform that bristles with BMW know-how from the latest 7 Series. This very platform will underpin the automaker’s future SUV, so what is Torsten actually on about? With all due respect to Rolls-Royce’s brilliant luxobarges, the CEO’s remark was uncalled for, full stop. And also childish, if I may further add.
The bottom line is, Bentley’s Bentayga is based on the Audi Q7 just as Rolls-Royce’s Cullinan shares many of its underpinnings with the range-topping BMW X7. In truth, there’s nothing wrong with sharing stuff as long as the result is appreciated by connaisseurs and sells by the bucketload.
In fact, the Bentayga became an instant hit for Bentley from day one. In the U.S., for example, the British automaker sold 884 units of the damn thing in 2016, joined by 988 in Europe. Of the 11,817 Bentley vehicles sold all across the world in 2016, more than half are Bentayga SUVs (5,586). Make no mistake about it, such a success attracts both praise and naysayers.
Rolls-Royce’s head honcho is one of the latter, telling Automotive News the following: “We are not using mass-manufactured body shells. That limits what you can do on the design side, and it undermines exclusivity massively. You don't want a camouflaged [Audi] Q7 in that segment. You want to have a true Rolls-Royce." Shots fired, but Mueller-Oetvoes’ bluster is off the mark.
With all due respect, what Rolls-Royce calls “Architecture of Luxury” is a platform that bristles with BMW know-how from the latest 7 Series. This very platform will underpin the automaker’s future SUV, so what is Torsten actually on about? With all due respect to Rolls-Royce’s brilliant luxobarges, the CEO’s remark was uncalled for, full stop. And also childish, if I may further add.
The bottom line is, Bentley’s Bentayga is based on the Audi Q7 just as Rolls-Royce’s Cullinan shares many of its underpinnings with the range-topping BMW X7. In truth, there’s nothing wrong with sharing stuff as long as the result is appreciated by connaisseurs and sells by the bucketload.
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