Lunaz reveals an upcycled 1961 Bentley S2 Continental is claimed to be the world’s rarest upcycled electric vehicle. It is one of four examples ever made, where the original one was powered by a 6.2 liter V8. The original version dates made to 1951, which was only one of the four examples built.
Now completely restored and reimagined, it’s equipped with Lunaz’s in-house designed proprietary modular electric powertrain, which comprises high-grade Tier 1 OEM battery cells and motors. The latest in a series of luxury classic cars to undergo the company’s proven upcycling process at its facility in Silverstone, UK, previous projects include models from famous names including Aston Martin, Jaguar, Range Rover, and Rolls-Royce.
This specific example was built in 1961. In the period, a small number of luxury car bodies were still being produced by independent coachbuilders to the customer’s specification, on a ‘rolling chassis’ supplied by Bentley or another manufacturer. 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.
Upcycling process
Undergoing the same upcycling process proven on a number of rare, high-value luxury cars over the past four years. The result is a Concours-standard vehicle that meets Lunaz’s three key requirements for an upcycled electric vehicle: usability, reliability, and sustainability. It 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. Any external and internal materials are repaired and recoated: anything that can’t be reused, down to the nylon in the seatbelt cord, is recycled.
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 developed entirely in-house, allows engineers to adjust individual components to perfectly reflect the car’s innate character, and the owner’s personal preferences. The battery cells, inverters, and motors are all original equipment made to Lunaz’s specification by European Tier 1 suppliers, as used by OEM carmakers. Other vital systems, including brakes, steering, suspension, and electrics, are all given Lunaz Design’s full modernization treatment to bring them into line with the dynamic expectations of the customer as well as current safety standards.
