Ducati and Bentley unveil limited-edition motorcycle
Ducati and Bentley have announced a new, limited-edition motorcycle that celebrates the best of both iconic brands: the Ducati Diavel for Bentley.
Born from a collaboration between the two manufacturers, the project links Ducati and Bentley with a vision of performance, craftsmanship and exclusivity. The result is a striking synthesis of technology, style and performance capable of making enthusiasts dream. The bike will be revealed to the public tonight with a ‘fuorisalone’ event at Art Basel in Miami, the overseas edition of the most prestigious European contemporary art fair.
On the sophisticated technical base of the high-performance and comfortable Diavel V4, Ducati has integrated characterising elements of the Bentley Batur – of which only 18 examples will be handcrafted by Bentley – to create a motorcycle unique in terms of elegance and design. The Diavel for Bentley will be created in a numbered series limited to 500 examples, plus an additional 50 even more special “Ducati Diavel for Bentley Mulliner” motorbikes. The latter are reserved for Bentley customers, and include the personalisation and individuality that is so intrinsic to the Batur on which the bikes are based.
The Inspriation – Bentley Batur
Batur is Bentley’s most powerful production car ever, with a 740 PS twin-turbo W12 engine. More than that, the Batur combines benchmark Bentley craftsmanship with sculptured, muscular bodywork that defines a new design DNA for Bentley with previews a new design direction for the brand. The visual message communicates great power and elegance, without ostentation or excess. The 18 examples of the Batur are individually hand-crafted by Mulliner, the oldest coachbuilder in the world and Bentley’s in-house bespoke division.
Diavel for Bentley
The Centro Stile Ducati, in collaboration with Bentley designers, created a new design for this special motorbike, drawing inspiration from the Batur from which it takes the lines of the side view. The Scarab Green colour, sophisticated and refined and rich in metallic shades comes from the Bentley Mulliner palette and is used throughout the bodywork.
The decisive and aggressive lines of the Diavel V4 have also been profoundly revised through the technical components: many of the characteristic features of the Batur are taken up in different parts of the bike. The forged rims, designed and created for this motorbike, recall the shapes of those of the car and are painted in Dark Titanium Satin, leaving some machined surfaces visible.
The side air intakes reflect the two-tone front grille, one of the most recognizable elements of the Batur. The triangular rear extractors refer to the corresponding elements of the car. The front mudguard, the fairing and the upper view of the tank recall the ribs on the front bonnet, while the single-seater tail, which can be replaced with a passenger seat, takes many styling cues from the rear of the Batur. Many of the bodywork components are made of high-quality carbon fibre (fenders, headlamp cover, engine, exhaust and radiator covers, radiator shrouds, side panels, tail piece).
The rider’s seat, in black Alcantara, is inspired by the interior of the car, with precision workmanship that reveals the underlying red fabric with the same to that of the Batur seats and with the Bentley logo embroidered on the rear pad. The dual outlet exhaust, with its cover, has been redesigned to harmonize with the refined lines of the bike.
Diavel for Bentley Mulliner
In addition to the 500 Diavel for Bentley examples, Ducati also offers a series of just 50 examples, called Diavel for Bentley Mulliner. The 50 Diavel for Bentley Mulliner motorbikea will be available exclusively to customers of Mulliner, who through direct collaboration with the designers of the Centro Stile Ducati, will be able to configure their Diavel for Bentley Mulliner with different colours for the saddle, front brake calipers, carbon fibre parts and rims. They will also be able to choose the same colour as their car for the bodywork parts or one of those from an exclusive palette selected by Mulliner’s designer for this special and highly exclusive series.
The Final Details
The Diavel for Bentley, like all collectible Ducatis, is delivered with a certificate of authenticity, a passenger seat and a motorcycle cover. The name of the model and the production number of the unit are shown on a plate inserted in the carbon fibre cover of the vertical head, on the right side of the motorcycle. Both the dashboard, equipped as standard with turn-by-turn navigator, and the LED matrix of the rear light cluster offer a special animation at the key-on which makes the Diavel for Bentley even more unmistakable. Finally, each Diavel for Bentley will be delivered in an exclusive personalised wooden case.
The collaboration between the two manufacturers has also led to the creation of a Capsule Collection, reserved for Diavel for Bentley owners, which allows customers to complete their look with a jet helmet and a technical jacket (available in both men’s and women’s versions) in a limited edition, characterized by a colour scheme that reflects that of the motorbike.
The Diavel for Bentley adopts the 1,158 cc V4 Granturismo engine, a central element of its design and at the same time a highly refined technical choice. Powerful (168 hp), rich in torque but also extremely light and compact, it is at the same time fluid and usable right from the lowest revs. The Twin Pulse combustion order, together with the dedicated exhaust system, unmistakably characterize the timbre of the exhaust.
This joint project stems from Ducati and Bentley both being part of the Volkswagen Group’s “Progressive Brand Group”, which also includes Audi and Lamborghini.