Bentley has introduced a new type of trim material for the interior of its cars: three-dimensional wood paneling.
The use of wood for interior trim is as old as cars themselves, but according to Bentley wood trim has never featured three-dimensional shapes before.
Bentley's three-dimensional wood paneling features small diamond formations across the surface, a design Bentley already offers in leather. To achieve the look in wood, a single block of either American Walnut or American Cherry is carved into shape using a multi-axis routing machine.
The carved piece is then hand-finished before it's cleaned up and given a coat of open-pore lacquer to allow the true color and texture of the wood to shine through. Compare this to traditional wood panels where each piece is formed by veneers.
2021 Bentley Flying Spur equipped with three-dimensional wood trim
Right now the three-dimensional wood trim is only available for the Flying Spur, where it can be applied to the door linings. Should it prove popular, we're sure it will be made available for other cars in the Bentley lineup.
The required wood is sourced from sustainable forests in North America, according to Bentley. Both American Walnut and American Cherry are popular options in the furniture and interior joinery businesses, as the woods are tough and have a dark, rich look to them.
The Flying Spur was redesigned for 2020 and currently serves as the flagship for Bentley, now that the Mulsanne is out of production. The sole powertrain at present is a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W-12 good for 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque.
Bentley has already announced some updates for 2021, including new color and trim options. Eventually, we should also see V-8 and plug-in hybrid powertrain options made available in the big sedan.
