Santa Claus trades in his magical sleigh for a red-and-gold 542 hp Bentley luxury limo.
It would seem that Santa Claus himself is not immune to a little bit of Christmas shopping. That is because the jolly old man himself has apparently recently taken delivery of a rather special Bentley Flying Spur V8.
Dubbed the Reindeer Eight, the North Pole native has allegedly commissioned this one-off luxury limo through Bentley’s Mulliner personalisation division. Hand-crafted in Crewe, this particular Bentley is resplendent in Santa’s traditional colour combination of red and gold, with the red being selected being Bentley’s Cricket Bauble paint finish.
Complementing this deep red exterior hue are various gold accent trim pieces along the luxo-limo. The most notable of which being the 3D printed gold reindeer hood ornament taking the place of the traditional Flying B mascot.
Continuing down the sides of this bespoke luxobarge, gold Reindeer Eight badges are featured, replacing the V8 badges on the side. Hand painted gold fine lines details are to be observed shimmering from the rear of the Bentley wing badges. The standard chrome bonnet strip has also been re-trimmed in gold. Hence further reaffirming the fact that Santa ain’t afraid of a little bit of bling.
Having said that, it appears Santa too appreciates a bit of sportiness in his Reindeer Eight, optioning a carbon diffuser to the front and rear bumper, carbon side sills and a boot lid spoiler on his Bentley. All of this is of course finished in the prerequisite gold colour, as part of the gold styling specification selected.
Rounding off the exterior gold accents are the 22-inch gold alloy wheels with a diamond finish. Coming part of the Mulliner Driving Specification, these huge rims are wrapped in all-season tyres to better match the wintery conditions of the customer’s North Pole residence.
Stepping inside, a monotone Cricket Bauble interior with gold personalised embroidery was the order of the day for the Reindeer Eight. This is then topped off with gold personalised embroidery and hand cross-stitching, which includes the names of the owner stitched into the twin-flute design driver’s seat and that of his wife alongside.
Elsewhere in the cabin, the Grand Black veneer wood trim along the dashboard showcases a North Pole winter night scene, with inlays to the fascias and door waist-rails. Bentley has also included a suitably festive welcome sound of ‘sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling’, which adds to the Christmas cheer every time Santa starts his Bentley up.
Furthermore, the British luxury automaker has gone and fiddled around with its signature rotating display and integrated Santa’s Naughty or Nice list within the navigation of the 12.3-inch central infotainment touchscreen. Just to make the jolly old man’s life just a little bit easier while out on his rounds come the night of the 24th of December.
Speaking of doing his rounds, under the hood of the Reindeer Eight is the usual Bentley 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8. While it might not be as powerful as the eight magical reindeers he normally uses on his Christmas duties, the 542 hp and 772 Nm of torque produced from this V8 is sufficient to rocket this luxury limousine to 100 km/h from a standstill in just, and on to a top speed of 318 km/h.
As for catching a glimpse of this special car, the customer who recently taken delivery of it has gone on record saying that he intends to put a staggering 41 million miles on it by the end of this year. So there could be a chance yet to see this rock up outside the front doors of many a home this upcoming Christmas Eve.
A much more presentable entrance than climbing down a chimney, I suppose.
PRESS RELEASE: A world famous customer has worked with Bentley’s bespoke and personal commissioning division, Mulliner, to upgrade his flying sleigh to something a little more luxurious and special: a unique, festive Flying Spur V8 called the ‘Reindeer Eight’.
Bentley Mulliner has a rich history and expertise of fine craftsmanship and visionary design. Its mission is to respond to the requirements of the most discerning Bentley customers through unforgettable bespoke cars. And with the customer’s own global and extensive list of expectant fans, this commission was one of its most important yet.
“What fun it is to ride in a 542 horsepower sleigh. Plus, there’s space in the back for all my subordinate Clauses. I’m looking forward to putting 41 million miles on the clock before the end of the year,” said the bearded customer.
The one-off ‘Reindeer Eight’ is finished to the exterior in deep red Cricket Bauble paint finish, a unique shade created for the customer based on Cricket Ball which is available as one of the 62 shades offered by the Extended Range.
Leading the car from the front, a gold three-dimensional printed reindeer can be found in lieu of the Flying B mascot, and to the sides the V8 badges have been replaced by a special ‘Reindeer Eight’ badge signifying the powertrain the customer is more familiar with. A spokesperson for the company would not comment on speculation that Rudolf has lodged a complaint with his union, Silent Unite.
Following the lead reindeer, the standard chrome bonnet strip has been re-trimmed in gold, and coordinating hand painted fine line details shimmer from the rear of the Bentley wing badges.
To emphasise the speed and performance required to cover the significant distance by the owner, a gold styling specification has been included, comprising of a carbon diffuser to the front and rear bumper, carbon side sills and a boot lid spoiler – for maximum aerodynamic performance at cruising altitude. The Mulliner Driving Specification with 22” golden wheels and diamond finish, representing the snow peaks crossed, completes the exterior theme. Given the cold climate of the customer’s primary residence, All Season tyres have been fitted.
The ‘Reindeer Eight’ continues to build on the latest Flying Spur model released with a more driver-centric experience via increased agility and a more characterful powertrain, whilst benefiting from increased range between fuel stops – vital to complete a lap of the world in one night.
The interior of the ‘Reindeer Eight’ showcases Bentley’s expertise in creating a modern cabin of unrivalled luxury and innovation, capable of comfortable seating for four or five. Extensive testing by members of the Mulliner team confirmed that this was also possible after uncontrolled mince pie consumption.
The customer has specified a monotone Cricket Bauble interior with gold personalised embroidery and hand cross-stitching, including his name stitched into the driver’s seat and that of his wife alongside.
Sweeping horizontal veneer flows across the dashboard and into the doors, emphasising the spacious width of the cabin. At Mulliner’s suggestion, the Grand Black veneer displays a North Pole winter night scene with inlays to fascias and door waistrails to depict the end of the night’s journey.
The seats of the ‘Reindeer Eight’ feature a twin-flute design and increased functionality, including heating, ventilation, multi-mode massage, adjustable bolsters and top tilt which should keep the customer alert yet relaxed over the extensive mileage that he will be covering. With the Mulliner Driving Specification chosen by the customer, the new three-dimensional leather combines with traditional stitching and embroidery work.
Festive gold hand cross-stitch highlights the attention to detail and skill of those working at the Bentley factory in Crewe. It takes 18 hours for an elf or craftsperson to complete the 11,100 hand sewn stitches throughout the cabin, and consumes 115m of special thread (equal to the height of Big Ben).
The industry-first Bentley Rotating Display features in the ‘Reindeer Eight’. When the engine start button is pressed, and after a welcome sound of sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling, the veneer section in the middle of the dashboard rotates to reveal a 12.3-inch touchscreen, displaying multiple menus. A Naughty and Nice list integrated in to the navigation system allows the customer to quickly know whether his fans have been bad or good – so be good, for goodness’ sake. The second side of the display reveals three elegant analogue dials showing outside temperature, a compass (vital for the customer to find home at the end of the long work night) and a chronometer. Finally, the third side offers the seamless Grand Black veneer fascia, continuing around the cabin, representing the North Pole winter night scene.
The Bentley Communications team wishes all of our media friends a very merry Christmas and a relaxing and restful break. See you in 2021.
