Bentley has strong Mideast demand

Dubai: British car manufacturer Bentley Motors says it is struggling to meet strong Middle East demand for its range of luxury cars.

The company, which has been owned by Volkswagen since 1998, will have sold just under 500 cars by the end of the year - a slight decline on the year before due to a higher volume of cars being sent to competing markets for sale.

Despite operating at full capacity, the company is refusing to expand production capability at its factory in Crewe, England.

"We can't and won't increase car production so we are looking at ways to grow dealer profitability through other revenue streams such as developing the used car market," said Ian Gorsuch, Bentley Motors' regional director for Middle East, Africa and India.

Bentley unveiled its Continental GT Speed to the Middle East market at the International Motor Show. The model will be delivered to the region for sale next month.

The car has a 12-cylinder, six-litre, twin-turbocharged engine which produces more than 600bhp. It accelerates from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds and has a maximum speed of 202mph (326km/h).

Gorsuch played down the significance of breaking the 200mph barrier.

"The top speed is not the most relevant part of what it offers. It's a Continental GT with a harder edged performance. Its suspension is different and the engine has been re-engineered," he said.

He stressed that the Continental GT Speed is not replacing the Continental GT, just targetting a different type of consumer.

Bentley's sold in the Middle East represent six per cent of the company's global sales - up from 4 per cent the year before.

Gorsuch said the low figure is balanced by higher spending in the Middle East. "The Middle East is important for us. People here tend to go for higher value particularly on the Arnage range," he said.

The Continental Flying Spur is the company's most popular model with around 300 cars sold in the region this year.

While maintaining its popularity amongst the region's royal families, Gorsuch said Bentley is attracting a broader range of buyers.

"Our customer demographic is changing from mostly royal and grand families to many wealthy expatriates coming in and a younger generation of the local population."

FACT FILE
150 hours to build a Continental GT

• Bentley Motors was founded in 1919 but the manufacturer did not make a complete carfor 27 years.
• It takes 150 hours to hand-build a Continental GT and 400 hours to build an Arnage.
• Bentley won Le Mans six times.
• Bentleys are sold in the UAE through Bentley Emirates, a division of Al Habtoor Motors.