British luxury carmaker Bentley has collaborated with social media influencer the Gstaad Guy on the launch of a limited edition model that ‘celebrates quiet luxury’ and embodies the ‘if you know, you know’ ethos of the character.
The car – of which only 25 examples will be available – combines a low-key exterior with an imaginative interior that has been inspired by the cosy boltholes of the fictional Gstaad Guy’s alpine home. It is described as ‘the ultimate chalet on wheels’.
The outside of the Bentley Bentayga EWB Chalet Edition is finished in hand-sprayed ‘Light Tudor Grey’ paint in a process that requires around 60 hours to complete. Other touches include a bronze-coloured trim, as well as a laser-etched graphic of an alpine chalet on the front wing. A subtle badge declares each model ‘one of twenty five’ – a phrase that appears on a limited edition Bentley jacket that will only be available to owners of the car.
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‘On the outside, by design, this car is quite unassuming at first glance,’ said the Gstaad Guy, speaking at the launch in London’s Holland Park. ‘Of course you know the Bentley, you know the Bentayga, it’s an iconic shape, an iconic car.’
However, the chalet-inspired interior is a different story, replete with saddle leather, tweed detailing, diamond-quilted surfaces and ‘liquid amber open-pore wood veneers’, some of which carry the chalet graphic that appears on the front wing. The headrest is embroidered with an alpine flower motif.
The project is a product of the bespoke division of the Crewe-based automaker, Bentley Mulliner, which has sought to reflect the social media personality’s ‘discerning aesthetic sensibility’ and ‘unhurried pursuit of perfection’ through the partnership.
Standard versions of the Bentley Bentayga EWB (extended wheelbase) start from around £205,000. The special Chalet Edition is priced at £330,000 and there is the additional option (for an additional fee) of a bespoke saddle leather boot protector (pictured above) that might come in handy when donning ski boots at the beginning of winter’s day, or enjoying a summer picnic in an alpine meadow.
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The Gstaad Guy phenomenon began as an inside joke, as described in a recent Spear’s cover story.
His first viral video was an affectionate skewering of a friend who lived a specific kind of Euro-aristo lifestyle. The exaggerated impression was shared with a few people he thought would recognise the plummy intonation, patrician frown and characteristically aloof sweep of hair. It was soon shared widely among a certain jet-setty crowd and, within weeks, the Gstaad Guy – then an employee at Apple – was being stopped on the street by people who recognised him from his clips.
The Gstaad Guy now has 1.7 million followers on Instagram, where his playful satire of the lives and mores of the inhabitants of the ultra-high-net-worth world has led to collaborations with luxury brands including Loro Piana and Audemars Piguet.
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The influencer said: ‘When I story-tell through my “Gstaad Guy”, I think of a real-life Gstaad “guy”. A type of person that expects the best of the best, in all that they do and consume. A connoisseur, seeking the best vacations, homes and modes of transport in between. While always prioritising the Gstaad values of togetherness, warmth, excellence in the air, at sea and on the road. And since a Mulliner Bentley Bentayga is the best option for a Gstaad “guy”, it is the only option for the Gstaad Guy. That’s how the idea for The Chalet Bentayga was born.’
Hugo Chizlett, lead designer for Bentley Mulliner, told Spear’s that when the Gstaad Guy approached the brand with his idea for the car, it took Bentley a little while to understand his ‘vision’ for the collaboration. As that changed, the Mulliner division was able to help create something that ‘manifests [the Gstaad Guy’s] mentality’.
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‘It’s an “if you know, you know” mentality,’ explained Chizlett. ‘So those who don’t know might walk straight past the car, and that’s OK. Because those who do get it will know what the chalet [motif] means, what the badge on the back means, what the other details mean. Those who know, will know.’
