3rd Edition of Choice Option Magazine August 2014 | Page 25

Trend Report

Bentley Takes the Wraps Off Its Hybrid Concept
The Bentley Hybrid Concept took center stage at this year’s Beijing auto show. Bentley’s first foray
into hybrid propulsion, the plug-in motor debuted at the show in the body of the British automaker’s
flagship Mulsanne, to show that hybrid technology can enhance even the pinnacle of luxury and
performance. The car’s exterior accentuated classic Bentley elements such as the brand’s trademarked headlamps, radiator shell, and exterior lines. These accents continued in the cabin, with
copper-colored inserts and cross‑stitching paired with handcrafted veneers and cabin instruments.

While this hybrid version of the Mulsanne was merely a show car, the
same plug-in application will make
its debut in the anticipated (albeit
controversial) Bentley SUV, which is
scheduled to hit roads in 2017. The
forthcoming SUV’s hybrid system
will boost power by 25 percent while
reducing emissions by 70 percent.
Bentley says that its hybrid SUV will
be capable of driving at least 30
miles solely on electric power, allowing for emissions-free city driving
with enhanced combustion-engine
performance on the open road. By
the end of the decade, Bentley plans
on incorporating hybrid power
trains into 90 percent of its production models. Pricing for the hybrid
Bentley SUV is not yet available.
(www.bentleymotors.com)

The artful ascent of
Jaeger-LeCoultre
The watch gives off the effect of a miniature
stained glass window as the light bounces
and refracts off the dial surface. According
to Jaeger-LeCoultre, it took six months of attempts before they were able to make a perfect finished dial, so delicate is the technique
and so fine are the tolerances involved. Where
the series really scores, though, is the link they
create with Jaeger-LeCoultre's past.
The Duomètre à Sphérotourbillon pocket watch, for example, is inspired by an 1895 original
with its mix of blue enamel and white gold case details, hand-chiselled dial and enamel subdials, yet harbours a very 21st-century sphérotourbillon escapement mounted on a transparent sapphire bridge.

Pharrell Williams bumped up
the ask price for his Miami
condo by $99,000.

Bristol Tower Penthouse, Miami
Ask Price: $10.999 million
Agents: Jill Hertzberg and Jill Eber, of The Jills. In recently news broke that
the producer of “Happy” had bumped up the ask price for his Miami
condo by $99,000. That’s well under the $16.8 million Williams asked for
when he first listed his 9,080-square-foot Bristol Tower penthouse back in
2012. Williams bought the padin 2007 for $12.5 million
25 | Choice Options