Sure, it might just be Monday; a day like any other for most of us. But we have big news for you today: Bentley has completed the assembly of a gorgeous ‘Car Zero’ prototype, part of the Blower Continuation Series. If this does not ring any bells, don’t worry, you’re probably not alone, but you’re in for a real treat.
Set to preview an exclusive run of 12 vintage-looking beauties – all of them spoken for already – this extraordinary prototype is the next best thing until the full production of this Continuation Series begins.
According to Bentley, 40,000 hours of hard work have been invested in the design and build of Car Zero and exactly 1,857 individual parts have been hand-crafted for this project, according to original plans. And the craftsmanship involved with the project is, as you might expect, truly exquisite.
Inspired by the original Blower Team Cars, this prototype and its old-school looks are based on modern tech and digital processes. It seems that the #2 Team Car owned by Bentley was taken apart, piece by piece, and it was laser-scanned to get a digital CAD model of this iconic racecar.
Following this digitalization process, a team of artisan specialists went to work on what would later be called ‘Car Zero’, using traditional techniques passed down through generations.
Car Zero features a new ash frame made in the Mulliner Trim Shop, a hand-trimmed body – also courtesy of Mulliner, and even though you might not believe this, 10 kg (22 lbs) of natural horsehair can be found in the seats.
Powering up this beauty is a 4½-liter engine that was built to the original specifications, packing aluminum pistons, overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder, twin spark ignition, and a magnesium crankcase. Thanks to a modern supercharger, this reborn old timer has 240 horsepower ready to go.
Once complete, ‘Car Zero’ will be out through its paces to test the platform for the Blower Continuation Series. Set to be driven 8,000 km (4,971 miles) on the track, where simulations act as 35,000 km (21,748 miles) worth of daily usage, this baby will surely deliver some amazing thrills.
