Celebrity Life

The Macallan and Bentley Motors are working in a partnership towards a mutual vision of sustainability. The influential women working behind the scenes discuss learning from each other.

In a partnership announced earlier this year between two historic British brands, The Macallan and Bentley Motors have joined forces to build their vision of a more sustainable future. In a series of conversations between key figures from both brands, Kirsteen Campbell, Master Whisky Maker at The Macallan, and Maria Mulder, Head of Colour and Trim at Bentley, discuss issues of sustainability, the environment and the future of their respective industries.

The Macallan and Bentley Motors Join Forces

From the perspectives of design and craftsmanship, what are the most critical points for brands to consider in terms of sustainability?

MARIA MULDER: There’s a balance between sourcing amazing sustainable materials and using materials that will stand the test of time. Longevity is critical to us; it’s no use in ethical and sustainable procurement if a material is only going to last a few years before it needs to be replaced. We invest time to diligently research materials that tick the boxes of luxury, sustainability, authenticity and innovation. Once we achieve this balance, exceptional design and craftsmanship come easily – they’re areas we’ve mastered over the past century and still treasure today.

KIRSTEEN CAMPBELL: Everything we do fuses techniques and crafts of the past with present-day progress and development. This naturally applies to the creation of our singlemalt Scotch whiskies and continues on to our packaging, where we have a responsibility to balance luxury with a need to protect the planet, as well as the suppliers we work with. One recent example is The Macallan

Red Collection, a range of rare single-malt Scotch whiskies. Featuring some of the oldest whiskies, each expression is encased in an oak presentation box created from the same sustainable European oak used for The Macallan’s casks. The boxes are beautifully upholstered with sustainably sourced soft red leather from the Scottish supplier Bridge of Weir Leather, which also creates upholstery for leading luxury car brands such as Bentley. Bridge of Weir Leather was recently revealed to have the lowest carbon footprint of any leather producer in the world.

Does this partnership help set a precedent on how different industries can use their creativity to move towards a more sustainable society?

MM: It’s a unique experience for two brands from contrasting industries and sectors to work together to share learnings on sustainability. We hope this collaboration will help to inspire expectations among customers of luxury products, who’ll demand more in terms of sustainability standards from all the brands they consume.

KC: We believe sustainability can be a driver of innovation. It’s not something we can do alone, and we collaborate with partners – like Bentley Motors – to achieve our ambitious goals, whether that be widening access to a global network of sustainable suppliers or being inspired by innovative development of sustainable materials. By linking with Bentley, we can fuse traditional craftsmanship and state-of-the art engineering to push the boundaries of innovation in our industry, while still being genuinely sustainable.

How will the partnership with Bentley inspire your vision in terms of craftsmanship and sustainability?

KC: As we look towards the future, both The Macallan and Bentley understand the value of exchanging knowledge, sharing in innovation and working together to tackle challenges. We’re both brands with a long-standing heritage of creating quality products that place an emphasis on craftsmanship, creativity and innovation, so there’s a natural alignment with our DNA and values.

At the heart of this partnership is a commitment to create a space for the open exchange of knowledge, which will allow both brands to learn from each other, uncovering innovations that benefit the communities around us. When I work with the Whisky Mastery Team to bring to life new expressions, this brings out the more creative side of my role, when my “arty” side comes into play – just as an artist or designer works with colours to create images that are appealing to the eye, I work with mixing flavours in a way that’s is appealing to the palette. I’m inspired to learn more from Maria about her processes, from a limitless palette of colour to how she unlocks incredible combinations of colour and sustainable materials.

MM: We’re in the early stages of a partnership that we hope will span many years. At present, we’re still learning from each other and planning the ways we’ll create extraordinary products and experiences together.

What shared values do both bring to this partnership – and are there any differences between the two industries that need to be bridged?

MM: Both our businesses are intently focused on creating excellence and always being the best in our fields. Rich storytelling is an integral part of the identities of both brands – we each have captivating heritage, vivid imaginations and a clear vision for future innovation that translate into
a stories-led approach to everything we create.

KC: Like The Macallan, Bentley Motors represents the very best in craftsmanship, creativity and innovation – and we share a mutual goal to drive forward our sustainability journey to protect the planet, its people and the communities around us. Collaborating with a partner from a different industry will only accelerate this progress. Working with Bentley Motors will allow us to see things differently and work in a different way.

I’m excited to see where the journey will take us. And lastly, how would you encourage other women to reach their goals, given your positions within traditionally male-dominated industries?

MM: My advice is to be brave and confident with your knowledge – and even though you may see places where someone like you isn’t represented, this becomes an opportunity. The glass ceiling will only continue to exist if we’re not brave enough to push past it.

KC: It’s exciting to be part of The Macallan’s story as the first woman to be Master Whisky Maker and custodian for The Macallan since it was established almost 200 years ago. Becoming a whisky maker takes passion, hard work and dedication, as well as natural sensory ability and it’s a fantastic role for both men and women. Globally more women are enjoying whisky and I’m pleased to have witnessed a shift in whisky being perceived as a spirit only consumed by men. There’s also a growing number of women working in whisky making, and I’m pleased to be part of this. I hope this inspires other women to challenge perceptions in the whisky industry.

Find out more here

The post The Macallan and Bentley Motors are Working Towards a Mutual Vision of Sustainability appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The latest hybrid version of the Bentayga Luxury SUV eschews outright performance and roadability for refined comfort and moderate gains in fuel economy.

Two months and two posh SUVs, one from Aston Martin and this month’s car from Bentley. You could argue they’re almost dead ringers for each other: both are from archetypally British brands with a reputation for luxury and sportiness, both have considerably more than a modicum of German engineering beneath the skin, and both occupy roughly the same price point – if you want to nitpick, even their logos are similar. But after driving both, I’d argue they could hardly be more different.

You see, the Aston Martin DBX we reviewed in the September issue of Prestige was fettled with an old-tech, purely petrol power unit, whereas the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid you’re reading about now has been partially future-proofed through the hefty and eco-friendly wallop of electricity that accompanies its traditional hydrocarbon-burning engine. Thus, it represents a modest but significant first step towards the total electrification of the entire Bentley fleet, a goal the company’s VW owners have fast-tracked it to achieve in just nine years. And that means we’ll soon be waving a tearful farewell to the magnificent W12 and smaller nut hardly less impressive V8 engines that have delighted us over the past couple of decades.

It’s an ambitious target, especially as the company only embraced hybrid technology a couple of years ago, though as the Brits can draw from an enormous bin of parts produced by its Porsche and Audi stablemates, it’s by no means an insuperable one. Indeed, in the case of this hybrid Bentayga, the solution was right there in the form of a turbocharged 3-litre V6 engine mated to a powerful electric motor, a combination already in use on other SUVs from the VW group, namely the Audi Q7 and (whisper it) the somewhat less patrician Volkswagen Touareg. We’ll get back to that a little later.

I was last behind the wheel of a Bentayga more than five years ago, on its media launch in Southern California to be precise, and as I watched my latest test car being gently unloaded from the flatbed transporter used to deliver it for my drive, I suddenly recalled just how massive the Bentley is. The relentless desert heat aside, what had stuck in my mind from that trip were the uncanny dynamic abilities the car displayed both on-road and off – we even drove our behemoths to a small racetrack out in the sticks, where they behaved with far more aplomb than a luxo-truck has any right to. Well, that and an interior more sumptuously palatial than I’d ever seen in an SUV (though more recently, Rolls-Royce has raised the ultra-SUV bar even further with the Cullinan). Perhaps being in the United States, where many road vehicles are the size of reasonably sized dwellings in other parts of the world, had blinded me to its size, but the Bentayga’s vastness had slipped from my mind almost completely.

Since then, Bentley has treated the car to a mid-life massage both outside and in – we’re told it involved more than 1,000 upgraded components, though the most obvious differences from launch models are the revised front grille and lights, tailgate, oval rear lamp cluster and new wheel options, all of which are intended to align more closely with the current Continental GT, as well as a more up-to-date infotainment system with a larger and more legible touchscreen. In most other respects the Bentayga is as regal and ridiculously opulent as ever, with acres of top-quality swathed across almost every visible interior surface – and those few that aren’t covered in animal hide are agleam with highly polished wood veneer or metal.

On its introduction, the front end of Bentley’s SUV housed a twin-turbocharged 6-litre W12, whose 600 horsepower and 900Nm of torque were responsible for performance verging on the unbelievable – or at least for a vehicle weighing considerably more than a couple of tonnes. However, with a combined 443bhp and 700Nm from its V6 and electric motor (the latter is mounted between the petrol engine and the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox), and
a hefty battery pack that raises the car's weight beyond 2,600kg, the Hybrid’s straight-line performance is inevitably less rapid, though neither its 5.5-second 0-100km/h acceleration time nor its maximum 254km/h top speed can be considered sluggish. In any case, focusing on outright performance does rather miss the point.

As a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), the Bentayga’s battery is considerably larger than a normal hybrid (HEV)’s and permits a greater electric-only range – in this case, it’s around 40km, which is perfectly adequate for average daily urban use. Unlike a regular HEV, though, a PHEV’s battery can’t be completely charged while being driven, so the Bentley requires plugging in for a couple of hours or so to top up with the full whack of electrons – much as if it were a fully electric vehicle. The beauty is that it can theoretically be driven in town every day without using a drop of gas, but won’t leave you with range anxiety on longer journeys; the downside, of course, is in the emissions produced when the combustion engine cuts in.

On the whole, the Bentayga’s hybrid system works well, with three drive modes – from “EV” to “Hold” – and a further menu of “Comfort”, “Sport”, “Bentley” and “Custom”, which match the settings on a normal petrol-powered car; all can be selected via an elegant console-mounted dial. Driven on electric power only, the SUV accelerates smartly and drives even more silently than any self-respecting Bentley should; theoretically, it can reach speeds in excess of 130km/h without the assistance of gasoline, though in practice you’ll be drawing on the V6’s extra punch long before that – and especially on hills, where electricity simply isn’t up to the job. Yet when the battery is close to depletion and the V6’s relatively meagre 300-odd horses are doing most of the work, the engine’s limitations in terms of noise, smoothness, pulling power and fuel economy become hard to ignore. In other words, the Bentayga Hybrid is at its most refined best when it isn't being hurried, and driven thus – as a large, relaxed and extremely spacious luxury cruiser – it's very refined indeed.

To sidestep some of the compromises that inevitably result from its complex powertrain, Hybrid mode features a clever energy-saving function working in tandem with the sat-nav, which plots any given journey and decides how best to utilise electricity or petrol, even showing how well you’re doing on a real-time display. Obviously for the most economical results you won’t be exercising the V6 too energetically, but then nor do the car’s additional weight and the absence of active roll bars (which obviously has a negative effect on handling and body control) offer much incentive to press on either.

Indeed, for all its advanced technology, the Bentayga strikes me as a Bentley of yore: a lovely cocoon of beautifully made and sumptuously appointed luxury in which to be wafted from point to point in perfect calm and silence. Treat it as such and, whether your journeys are long or short, it will reward you in abundance. But if your idea of a car with the Flying-B on its flanks is one that gobbles up countries and even sizeable chunks of continents with ease, you’ll be looking at a V8 or even – God forbid in these eco-conscious times – a W12. Because for now, at least, you do have the choice.

BENTLEY BENTAYGA HYBRID

ENGINE Turbocharged 3-litre V6 and electric motor
TRANSMISSION Eight-speed
MAX POWER 443bhp
MAX TORQUE 700Nm @ 1,100-4,500rpm
MAX SPEED 254km/h
ACCELERATION 0-100km/hin5.5seconds
KERB WEIGHT 2,626kg
PRICE HK$3.5 million

The post The Bentley Bentayga SUV is a Luxury Hybrid that Delivers Refined Comfort appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Elizabeth McMillan of The Macallan and Bentley Motors’ Alex Quelch-Cliffe share their views on the historic collaboration between the two companies as they set out on a pioneering journey together.

United by a dedication to craftsmanship, creativity and innovation, The Macallan and Bentley Motors have joined forces in an ambitious partnership. These two historic names share a vision of driving towards a more sustainable future while pursuing the incomparable excellence for which each is known.

The wide-reaching sustainability strategy created by The Macallan incorporates a range of elements that include giving back to communities, nurturing The Macallan Estate, progressive packaging and partnering with sustainable suppliers. The innovative partnership aims to build on the legacy of balancing excellence with environmental and social responsibility – a partnership that, it’s hoped, will inspire others to join the two brands on a journey both exceptional and ethical.

As both Elizabeth McMillan, senior marketing manager for sustainability at The Macallan, and Bentley Motors’ decarbonisation manager Alex Quelch-Cliffe are equally excited about this opportunity to learn from each other’s expertise, it seemed pertinent to talk to them together.

What are the sustainability breakthroughs from this collaboration that are new to both brands?

ELIZABETH MCMILLAN: Through a programme of knowledge exchange and the open sharing of innovative projects and plans, The Macallan and Bentley will benefit from each other’s expertise, advancing the decarbonisation transition of each of the brands’ operations. For The Macallan, it’s the intention to become carbon neutral on our Estate by 2030. Bentley already operates the UK’s first certified-carbon-neutral luxury car-manufacturing facility. By harnessing partnerships with organisations that share a common purpose, we seek to find solutions to big challenges – and Bentley Motors’ ambitious sustainability vision echoes that of our own.

What‘s the most exciting aspect of The Macallan and Bentley collaboration?

ALEX QUELCH-CLIFFE: At the heart of our collaboration is a shared vision of sustainability. Personally, I’m interested in not only the immediate benefits we can deliver from our two brands working closely together but also the potential for The Macallan’s insights to bring a different perspective and solutions to the long-term challenges we face in the wider automotive industry.

Are new sustainability measures for the brands already in place?

EM: Our partnership will unlock access to a wider network of suppliers for both companies to evolve the progressive sourcing principles of each brand. Promoting the use of sustainable materials with responsible sourcing and packaging will be fundamental to the creation of mutually curated products, experiences and content. We’ll also build on the innovative research, sourcing and use of sustainable materials by both companies. And last, but not least, we’re investing in people and cultivating a community of artisans to realise our visions of creating beautifully distinctive products and accessories.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in the journey towards sustainability?

ACQ: Rather than seeing challenges, the most striking thing we’ve both encountered are the opportunities for rich storytelling, shared learning and collaborative development. This is important to each of us, to ensure we conserve natural resources as much as possible while creating products and experiences that are extraordinary for our customers. We’re exploring all avenues to reduce single-use plastics and waste from our production processes and products.

When the proposal to collaborate with a car company came up, were the people at The Macallan originally surprised?

EM: We identified the luxury automotive sector as a valuable opportunity to expand The Macallan’s reach beyond the spirits category and broaden our learning. Through this partnership, we can bring our brands to consumers around the world in new and engaging ways, while also appealing to existing aficionados and their passions and interests.

What’s the biggest message to Prestige readers about this unprecedented collaboration?

ACW: Through this global brand partnership with The Macallan, we’ll travel forward, using our imagination to envisage how the world could be and embark on an exciting and extraordinary journey into the future.

EM: Our partnership is built on a long-term shared commitment to seeking solutions to the big challenges we both face. My hope is that our global brand partnership will lead us to ideas and innovations about sustainability that we may not have reached on our own. Both brands are demonstrating a commitment to sustainability across key areas of the business, including innovation, environmental performance and community development, so together we can help each other achieve our objectives.

Find out more here.

The post The Macallan & Bentley Motors: A Partnership Between Two Celebrated Brands appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

New Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid “Odyssean Edition” is the first production Bentley to introduce elements of the futuristic EXP 100 GT concept car. Earlier this year, Bentley revealed the new Flying Spur Hybrid as their second electric model, and to celebrate the launch, they’ve created a special “Odyssean Edition” that takes inspiration from Bentley’s futuristic […]

The post Bentley Celebrates Flying Spur Hybrid With “Odyssean Edition” appeared first on Billionaire Toys.

Collaborations have always been a great way to bring a new and refreshing perspective to more established brands, and this couldn't be truer for The Macallan and Bentley Motors, who announced that they are joining forces to build their vision of a more sustainable future. Now, this is an initiative that we can get on board with.

When news broke that two giants in their respective fields were coming together to form a long-term partnership, even the most jaded journalists perked their ears to hear more. Truth be told, we'd never have seen this alliance coming, but The Macallan single malt Scotch whisky and luxury British automotive manufacturer Bentley Motors have revealed a unique partnership that will build on their rich heritage to develop distinctive collaborations and further their vision of a more sustainable future.

The melding of these two storied brands is a notable milestone. The Macallan and Bentley Motors are both extremely ambitious but known for their unwavering focus, and the lofty goals they set for themselves are more than attainable.

Not only will this new venture bring us exciting jointly-developed products, but it will also introduce curated customer experiences, collaborative events, and extensive support in one another’s sustainability efforts. 

Igor Boyadjian, Managing Director for The Macallan, says, “Our collaboration presents a remarkable opportunity to compare our time-earned knowledge and learn from each other, supporting fresh thinking about our businesses, our customers, and ultimately our products.” 

The two share such innate and intrinsic similarities; both are longstanding, leading purveyors of luxury driven by mastery, craftsmanship, creativity, and innovation. This partnership lays down a blueprint for navigating a better tomorrow, as sustainability is the name of the game here. 

In the coming months and years, The Macallan and Bentley Motors are on a noble mission to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. They will exchange ideas, learnings, and expertise in environmental and social responsibility to exemplify how exceptionalism can be ethical.

The Macallan is committed to having a fully electric passenger vehicle fleet on The Macallan Estate by 2025, a bespoke Bentley Bentayga Hybrid that will be a highlight on The Macallan Estate in Speyside. The team at Mulliner – Bentley’s bespoke division representing hundreds of years of history and craftsmanship that deliver exacting personalisation for discerning consumers – has brought The Macallan brand to life through exacting details on this Bentayga Hybrid. 

Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Adrian Hallmark, interlinks the genuine connection of both brands. “We share the same ethos – the passion for exceptional quality, respect for artisanal handcraftsmanship, and now a drive towards genuine, world-leading sustainability. I’m looking forward to the adventure together.”

The collaboration will explore new sources of sustainable materials and allow the two brands to jointly find and share sustainable, local suppliers. Of course, it will also result in jointly-developed products, curated customer experiences, and collaborative events – all of which are undoubtedly worth the wait.

To attain this goal, a network of artisans has been crucial in supporting The Macallan to realise its vision of creating distinctive products and accessories and in 2021, The Macallan will establish and grow a collaborative community for our artisan partners. Through this community, and with funds raised from its Giving Back auctions, The Macallan will also create an Artisan Apprenticeship Fund aimed at perpetuating these legacy skills and the generational passage of knowledge for many years to come.  

This year, Bentley will launch its Diversity and Inclusion Strategy – recognising the value of investing in people. The strategy will focus on enhancing diversity and inclusion within the workplace to help the brand develop, attract and embrace the future talents, ideas, and customers who will help Bentley achieve future success. 

Ethical luxury in the future goes beyond sustainability. A new yardstick is on the horizon.

 (‘On an extraordinary journey into the future’ / ‘Crafted without compromise. Please savour The Macallan responsibly. Do not drink and drive.’)

The post The Macallan and Bentley Motors Partner for a Sustainable Future appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Bentley Motors has collaborated with Contest Yachts to create a matching sailing yacht inspired by a client’s Bentley Continental GT V8 Coupe. Bentley Motors has collaborated with Dutch yacht builder Contest Yachts on the design and styling of the client’s new 60ft Contest 59CS yacht so that it matches both the exterior and interior of […]

The post Bentley Continental GT V8 Inspires Luxury Yacht Design appeared first on Billionaire Toys.

In its new four-door Grand Tourer, Bentley makes use of cutting-edge parametric design software and combines it with its storied craftsmanship for superb detail. Without compromising the approach of the luxury British car manufacturer’s 100-year history of production and artistry, Bentley’s Grand Tourer sets the benchmark for interior refinement and luxury. The unique Diamond Knurling […]

The post Bentley Flying Spur sets the benchmark for Interior Refinement appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

—To celebrate its 100th birthday, Bentley created the EXP 100 GT, a striking all-electric concept poised to redefine the 21st-century driving experience. As you walk through the corridors of Bentley’s 1946 factory in Crewe, England, you can still spot stacks of wood logs and a newspaper clipping-like copy of the U.K.’s 1974 Woodworking Machine Regulations. […]

The post The Future of Grand Touring — Bentley’s EXP 100 GT appeared first on VUE magazine.

This past July, Bentley Motors celebrated its 100th birthday introduced the Bentley EXP 100 GT at The Home of Bentley in Crewe. Reimagining Grand Touring for the future, the EXP 100 GT embodies the luxury brand’s vision of the future of luxury mobility while being a sustainable autonomous and electric vehicle. The emotionally intelligent AI […]

The post Bentley EXP 100 GT Celebrates Its Centenary appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

Unlike other automotive and watchmaking brand collaborations, Bentley Motors’ partnership with Breitling is the world’s longest-running and most successful and, arguably, the most iconic. This year, the British marquee celebrates its 100th anniversary with the Centenary Limited Edition – Continental GT Number 9 Edition by Mulliner. Breitling also marks the occasion with their 18k red […]

The post Bentley and Breitling Celebrate Extraordinary Partnership appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

If you lusted after Bentley’s Grand Convertible concept car, finally here’s a chance to grab one.

The post A Bentley to Brag About appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The largest S-class ever built by the last yachtmakers to produce handcrafted yachts.

The post [VIDEO] Check out Princess Yacht’s new S60 at the Singapore Yacht Show 2017 appeared first on The Peak Magazine.