Lunaz Design has unveiled what it bills as the rarest classic car ever to be transformed to full electric power.
Dating from 1961, this specific Bentley S2 Continental is one of only four examples built. Today, now completely restored and reimagined, it’s equipped with Lunaz’s in-house designed electric powertrain.
This specific Continental was built in 1961. In period, a small number of luxury car bodies were still being produced by independent coachbuilders to the customer’s specifica-tion, on a ‘rolling chassis’. According to the build sheets, the first owner initially commissioned a four-door body from leading London coachbuilder James Young; but he evidently had a change of heart at the last minute, since research shows the car has only ever existed in its present two-door form.
In 1967, the car changed hands for the first time. Over the decades that followed, it would reside with various owners as far afield as Germany and Japan before returning to the UK. This Bentley Continental is the rarest S2 variant and today is one of only a handful left in the world.
All Bentley S2 variants were powered by the then-new ‘L’ Series 6.2-litre V8 engine.
The electrification process starts with a detailed inspection and assessment to determine the chassis, powertrain, and suspension configurations. Lunaz Design’s engineers use 3D scanning to create detailed Computer Aided Design (CAD) models as the basis for any renovation and reconstruction work required.
The car body is then stripped down to a bare metal shell and returned to as-new condition using traditional coachbuilding and restoration techniques. The internal combustion engine and its associated systems, lubricants and other fluids are carefully removed and reclaimed, then replaced with Lunaz’s proprietary fully-electric powertrain. The modular design is developed entirely in-house.
Other vital systems, including brakes, steering, suspension and electrics, are all modernised to bring them into line with current safety standards.
The now fully electric Bentley is equipped with a clean-air 400 bhp powertrain, producing 530 lb-ft of torque. 0-62 mph is achieved in 6.9 seconds. To ensure handling capability suspension is uprated to a fully adjustable coil-spring suspension with a lever arm damper. Likewise, its brakes, which also incorporate a battery regeneration system, have been upgraded.
In its new incarnation, the Bentley retains its luxurious character; but in keeping with its zero-emission powertrain and Lunaz Design’s culture of upcycling, the interior now incorporates a much higher proportion of sustainable materials than the original.
Words by Mark Slack
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