New Bentley Bentayga Apex Edition by Mulliner is as exclusive as SUVs come

Bentley has just revealed the new Bentayga Apex Edition by Mulliner, but you can only have one if you’ve already bought a Continental GT Le Mans Edition – itself a £330,000 limited-run, one-of-48 sports car.

The Bentley Bentayga Apex Edition is available in six designs that have been “curated by Mulliner” – Bentley’s exclusive customisation arm. The maker says it will also offer customers the chance to design their own car from scratch to create a “unique one-of-one specification”.

As standard, the Apex Edition gets lightweight 22-inch wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes, plus a carbon body kit, mirror caps and spoilers, a bespoke livery with a central painted stripe, and a unique interior design.

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Based on the Bentley Bentayga S, this new variant gets the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 542bhp and 770Nm of torque. It’ll do 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and hit 180mph flat out. Those standard-fit carbon brakes should ensure it’s just as good as scrubbing speed as it is accelerating from a standstill. 

Bentley says the wheels save 24kg of unsprung mass, providing "more stable and consistent steering”. The brakes save another 20kg, and along with the lighter wheels result in “improved and more responsive braking”.

Only one of the six themes has been shown in pictures thus far. On the car in the images,  Candy Red satin exterior paint is complimented by a Anthracite and Arctic White stripe over the bonnet and roof – a first for the Bentayga, apparently. Inside the red and white theme continues.

Other themes on offer include a “stealthier” Anthracite exterior finish and gloss black stripe, or Orange Flame with a subtle contrasting satin stripe in the same colour. The same treatment is applied to the Alpine Green car, which also features a satin stripe. Portland and Cumbrian Green trim adorns the interior of this version.

Pale Brodgar is the theme for car five, which is a kind of greeny gold seen on other models in the Bentley range. The somewhat reserved paint scheme is contrasted by an Anthracite stripe and Bacalar Bronze pinstriping. The final model is finished in Extreme Silver with a dark Beluga stripe and yellow accents.

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You may quite rightly be wondering why the Bentayga Apex Edition isn’t initially being offered in matching Verdant Green with a Moonbeam Le Mans-style racing stripe – as found on the Continental GT and GTC Le Mans models. Fear not, Bentley says this is available, complete with the same Beluga hide and napped Dinamica fabric seat faces. 

Prices for the Bentley Bentayga Apex Edition by Mulliner haven’t been revealed, but it’s more than likely to eclipse the £300k-plus you need for a Continental GT Le Mans. A classic case of if you need to ask, you probably can’t afford it – that’s us out of the frame, then!

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