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Volkswagen names new chief designer for Bentley

The Volkswagen Group has named one of its own to head up the design department at its Bentley division. The role now falls to Stefan Sielaff, who has been with the group (off and on) since 1990. Sielaff is principally an interior designer, but has been tasked with setting up numerous overall design offices for Volkswagen and Audi over the years. In his new capacity he'll be reporting to the group's chief engineer Rolf Frech (and oddly not to Bentley chief Wolfgang Durheimer), but at the same time, Sielaff will retain his role as head of interior design for the entire VW group, reporting to its chief designer Walter de Silva. Sielaff replaces Luc Donckerwolke, who has headed up Bentley design since 2012 and is leaving the company. We'll be on the lookout to see where Donckerwolke lands next. Crewe/Wolfsburg, 04 June 2015 Stefan Sielaff to head design at the Bentley brand • Sielaff also responsible for Group Interior Design Strategy Stefan Sielaff (53), currently Head of the Volkswagen Design Center in Potsdam, will assume responsibility for design at the Bentley brand effective July 1, 2015 in addition to his present post as Head of Group Interior Design Strategy. As Director of Design at Bentley, Sielaff succeeds Luc Donckerwolke (49), who held this function since 2012. Stefan Sielaff joined the Volkswagen Group in 1990, beginning his career in the interior design department at Audi. From 1995 the design graduate was entrusted with setting up the Group's Design Center Europe in Spain. In 1997 he was placed in charge of the Design Studio in Munich and was appointed Head of Audi Interior Design in the same year. In 2003 Sielaff moved to DaimlerChrysler as Design Director of the Interior Competence Center, returning to the Volkswagen Group in 2006 to become Head of Audi Design before being appointed Head of the Volkswagen Design Center in Potsdam und Head of Group Interior Design Strategy in 2012. In his new function as Director of Design at Bentley, Sielaff reports to Rolf Frech, Board Member for Engineering. In his function as Head of Group Interior Design Strategy he continues to report to Walter de Silva, Head of Group Design. Luc Donckerwolke has decided to leave the company. De Silva said: "Luc Donckerwolke has played a key role in the design of various Group brands. We would like to thank him for his work." Related Video: News Source: Volkswagen Design/Style Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Bentley Volkswagen

New 2020 Bentley Bentayga Speed tops out at 190 mph

To the surprise of no one, Bentley is applying the Speed treatment to its SUV offering, the Bentayga, which has become the brand's bestseller. Ever since it first appeared on the 2007 Continental GT, Bentley's Speed variants have denoted higher performance, and the 2020 Bentley Bentayga Speed becomes the top-performing Bentley SUV. It wrings an additional 26 horsepower out of the W12 engine, for a new total of 626 hp.The torque figure of 664 pound-feet (at 1,350 rpm) is unchanged. Those extra ponies are enough to help the new model live up to its billing, with a stated top speed of 190 mph, against 187 mph for the standard W12. With that figure, Bentley claims the mantle of fastest SUV, although Volkswagen Group corporate cousin Lamborghini might have something to say about that, since it claims the same 190-mph V-max for the new Lamborghini Urus. Bentley's factory 0-to-62-mph time is 3.9 seconds, down from 4.1 for the standard Bentayga W12. (That pesky Urus claims 3.6 seconds for the same measure.) Bentley says the W12 engine in the Speed also has a more extroverted exhaust note at start-up and during downshifts. The 48-volt electronic anti-roll system (Bentley Dynamic Ride) is standard. Just as in other Bentaygas, there are four on-road drive modes — and an additional four off-road — with the most aggressive, Sport, recalibrated for Speed duty. The suspension tune is also firmer. As on the V8 and standard W12 models, carbon-ceramic brakes are optional, although there may be a greater call for them here given the Speed's performance capabilities. Visually, the Speed is denoted by darkened front grilles, headlamps, and taillamps. The body also features rocker panel extensions and a liftgate-mounted rear spoiler. Speed-specific 22-inch 10-spoke wheels are available in three finishes. Inside, the Speed debuts Alcantara upholstery (with all-leather a no-cost option), and also features more extensive contrast stitching, illuminated door sill plates, and various "Speed" logos. Both the four- and five-person seating configurations are available. Pricing has not been released, but if you have a need for the Speed, expect to pay more than the $229,100 you'd cough up for a standard W12 Bentayga. Dealers are taking orders now, with U.S. deliveries set to start in the third quarter of 2019. Related Video:

Bentley designers talk about Intelligent Details

Bentley Director of Design Luc Donckerwolke certainly thinks highly of the vehicles he creates. "We are the only ones that offer performance compatible with luxury," he says in Intelligent Details, a new short documentary commissioned by the brand. While that might be a bit hyperbolic (the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG says hello), the company does have a long history of blending elegant interiors, sophisticated exteriors and powerful engines. The film examines how crafting that works in the modern world.
Intelligent Details stars Donckerwolke and his colleague Head of Exterior Design Sang Yup Lee as they ride in two contrasting Bentley Mulsannes through New York City. They talk about what makes a Bentley special, but their biggest focus is their belief that automotive interiors can no longer by "a closed cocoon," according to Donckerwolke. It has to transform into a living space thanks to the brand's interior infotainment technology.
The message might be self-aggrandizing, but the short film itself is beautifully shot and edited with some loving looks at the city. The way it was actually made could be the most surprising part of all. We don't want to spoil it here, but scroll down and watch the whole video to see.