Hunaudières: The Lost Supercar That Never Hit the Production Line

One-Off - Bentley is a name synonymous with British luxury and automotive excellence. Headquartered in Crewe, Bentley is celebrated for its distinctive luxury vehicles, each exuding an air of exclusivity. Among these, one remarkable concept stands out, signaling a bold new direction for the marque: the Bentley Hunaudières Concept.

The name Bentley Hunaudières pays homage to the famous straight of Circuit de la Sarthe, where Sir Tim Birkin in a "Blower Bentley" overtook Rudolf Caracciola in a Mercedes-Benz SSK at 125 mph (201 km/h) with one wheel on the grass. (Picture from: Intersport.id)

Named after the famous Hunaudières straight of the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans France, the car pays homage to Bentley's storied racing heritage. In the 1920s, Sir Tim Birkin, a legendary racer in the Bentley Blower, famously sped down this stretch at 201 kph, overtaking a Mercedes-Benz SSK with one wheel on the grass.

The Bentley Hunaudières is a concept car built by Bentley for the 1999 Geneva Salon International de l'Auto. (Picture from: Pedal2TheMetal)

The Bentley Hunaudières represented Bentley's ambitious endeavor to redefine itself, proving its capability to create cutting-edge supercars while upholding its aristocratic legacy. Despite its relative obscurity, the car's audacious design and innovative approach marked Bentley's venture into sportier automotive designs, although it never made it to production.

1929 Bentley Blower racing car driven by Sir Tim Birkin and raced at the 24 Heures du Mans (24 Hours of Le Mans). (Picture from: Intersport.id)

Unveiled at the 1999 Geneva Salon International de l'Auto (Geneva International Auto Show), the Hunaudières was the brainchild of Ferdinand Piëch, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche. Built on a modified Lamborghini Diablo VT chassis, and featured Volkswagen's W16 engine and advanced four-wheel-drive technology.

The Bentley Hunaudières Concept is actually the work of Ferdinand Piëch, who is none other than the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the Porsche brand. (Picture from: Pedal2TheMetal)

The specifications of the Hunaudières were impressive, boasting an 8,000 cc naturally-aspirated W16 engine capable of delivering 623 hp at 6,000 rpm and 760 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. These figures translated into a top speed of 350 kph, making it a formidable supercar. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding it, the Bentley Hunaudières never entered production.😢 Instead, its innovative design and engineering concepts lived on, influencing the creation of the Bugatti Veyron in 2005.

The Bentley Hunaudières features luxurious interior with a cabin swathed in Nubuck and Connolly leather. (Picture from: AllCarIndex)

The transition from Hunaudières to Veyron involved significant enhancements. The Veyron not only adopted a new bodywork but also upgraded from a 5-speed manual to a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission. These changes, coupled with increased power output to 1,000 hp, allowed the Veyron to achieve unprecedented speeds of up to 430 kph, surpassing the Hunaudières' capabilities.

The Bentley Hunaudières Concept is powered by a Volkswagen W16 engine has a capacity of 8,000 cc, naturally-aspirated which is capable of producing 623 hp at 6,000 rpm and 760 nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. (Picture from: Otosia)

How did this happen? As the saying goes, nothing is impossible in this world. Especially when you consider that Bentley and Bugatti are currently under the banner of the Volkswagen Group, making such a development entirely plausible.

Nevertheless, the Bentley Hunaudières Concept stands as a testament to Bentley's innovative spirit and commitment to pushing the boundaries of automotive design. Interestingly, the Bentley Hunaudières remains a hidden gem in the gaming world. It appears as a secret car in the TOCA World Touring Cars game for Sony PlayStation and Game Boy Advance consoles, offering a rare virtual glimpse of this extraordinary concept.

While it never saw the production line, its legacy endures, influencing modern supercars and reminding us of the exciting possibilities that arise when tradition meets innovation. Bentley's bold vision in creating the Hunaudières continues to inspire automotive enthusiasts and designers alike, cementing its place in the annals of automotive history. *** [EKA [30122021] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | ULTIMATECARPAGE ]

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