David Beckham car company makes Bentley S2 Continental go electric
Electrifying classic cars is controversial. Some argue it’s less of a heart transplant and more like a lobotomy. But what if the original combustion engine was designed to be as smooth and silent as possible? Surely then an EV conversion could preserve – and perhaps even enhance – the character of the car? That’s the view of Lunaz Design. Based at Silverstone and part-owned by ex-England footballer David Beckham, it specialises in “upcycling” iconic British cars.
Don’t expect to see a battery-powered Mini or MGB, though: the Lunaz range is rather more rarefied – including the Rolls-Royce Phantom V and Silver Cloud, Aston Martin DB6, Range Rover Classic and original Jaguar XK models. Celeb-watchers might recall the XK140 roadster given to Brooklyn Beckham as a wedding gift.
Old and Young
Lunaz founder David Lorenz describes his company’s latest project, a 1961 Bentley S2 Continental, as “the rarest vehicle ever to be converted to fully electric propulsion”. It’s one of four two-door saloons bodied by Bromley coachbuilder James Young – and possibly the only one still in existence. For around £500,000, including the donor vehicle and a bare-metal restoration to “concours standard”, Lorenz says the Bentley is transformed into a “usable, reliable and sustainable” classic car.
Where once the S2 had a lazy 6.2-litre petrol V8, now you’ll discover an 80kWh battery and two rear-wheel electric motors: good for 406hp and a muscular 530lb ft of torque. Drive in a dignified manner and the range between recharges is up to 250 miles. Alternatively, tell the chauffeur to step on it and 62mph hurries past in 6.9 seconds.
The car’s chassis has also been upgraded, with additional bracing, electronically adjustable coil-spring suspension and disc brakes with six-piston callipers – replacing the all-round drums fitted by Bentley.
Apart from the telltale green flashes on the number plates, though, you’d struggle to tell it apart from the 62-year-old original (that’s assuming you could find another James Young car to compare it with). Gliding through the back streets of Belgravia, this most aristocratic of EVs looks entirely at home.
Great British Bakelite
Inside, Lunaz has fitted a gigantic, Tesla-style touchscreen. Only kidding… the S2’s interior looks reassuringly traditional, too. Lunaz has trimmed the seats in soft caramel leather, polished the burr walnut dashboard and rechromed the chunky toggle switches. Closer inspection reveals a few EV-specific dials and a cleverly concealed touchscreen for smartphone connectivity. The near-endless list of options includes a cigar humidor and a champagne fridge.
Electric cars can feel dull and one-dimensional, like white goods on wheels. Not in this case. Sitting up at SUV-height, behind a huge and spindly Bakelite wheel, with its long bonnet stretching into the middle distance, the Bentley exudes a solemn gravitas and palpable sense of occasion. Its imperious ‘Flying B’ grille mascot seems to carve through lesser traffic, which parts to either side in due deference.
Unlike most classic cars, the Bentley is big even by modern standards. Thankfully, thin roof pillars and a reversing camera – also integrated into the pop-out touchscreen – make parking easier than you’d expect.
On open roads, its fingertip-light power steering feels vague and turn-in is rather ponderous, while performance is brisk rather than exciting. However, a cosseting ride on tall Avon tyres, coupled with the seamless shove of the electric motors, results in calm and very civilised progress.
Classic to commercial
Lunaz Design is proving to be a British success story, with production ramping up to almost two completed cars per week. Ironically, the other side of its business – Lunaz Applied Technologies, located on the opposite side of the road – converts refuse trucks to electric power.
A more different type of vehicle to this bespoke Bentley is hard to imagine, yet the merits of an electric powertrain are equally well suited to both. Wherever you stand on classic EVs, it’s hard to argue with that.
Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research
PRICE: £500,000
POWER: 406hp
TORQUE: 530lb ft
0-62MPH: 6.9sec
RANGE: 180-250 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS: 0g/km