In today’s automotive world, there are a few sure things. For instance, if you make a crossover, people will buy it. If you offer a manual transmission, enthusiasts will salivate, and then buy the crossover. And, most important of all, if you add a blackened aesthetics package to any vehicle, it will sell best of all. That’s a lesson that is as true for the Toyota Corolla as it is for the Bentley Bentayga.
However, whereas Toyota stops at a few blackened trim pieces, the masters of luxury at Bentley have gone one step further. Not only will it allow you to give your car the impression of darkness, it will allow you to feel that way, too, thanks to a new perfume.
Bentley for Men Black Edition Eau de Parfum is the latest scent in Bentley’s medicine cabinet, and everything about it, down to the bottle, is made to reflect the automaker’s darker spirit. Contained in a flacon made of heavy black glass with polished silver shoulders, the bottle is “designed to reflect the lines and curves of a Bentley, with a bellicose [that means aggressive and warlike in fancy] elegance.”
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The scent of the actual perfume is “as seductive as any Crewe-built car’s interior,” because both are crafted from luxurious, natural materials, Bentley says. To craft it, the automaker turned to master perfumer Dorothee Piot who plays with bright and dark notes to create something that is intriguing.
I won’t pretend to know much about perfumery, so I’ll hand over the wheel to Bentley to describe the smelly bits:
In the opening, a radiant accord of powdery violet and tangy tangerine feels as fresh as a clean white shirt. Cool pink pepper and nutmeg add the silvery flash of a pair of sleek, brushed steel cufflinks. Brightened by a hint of jasmine – the gleam of a silk tie – the heart of the fragrance unfolds like a dark, subtly-textured fabric of smooth patchouli and earthy papyrus. Darker still, the drydown weaves cool incense, tobacco-scented tonka bean and leather-tinged Atlas cedarwood on a base of musk and crisp, dry wood.
Sure, why not? Meanwhile, the question of why can be answered by looking at Bentley sales charts. Available on the Continental GT, GTC, the Flying Spur, and the Bentayga, a full 40 percent of customers opt for the Blackline treatment, which turns all of the birghtwork on the vehicle (except the Bentley badge and the wings on the B) Beluga black.
This confers to the car an air of sinister mystery. Like the vehicle, Bentley says that its new scent will lend the wearer a vibe that is “purposeful and enigmatic.” Each 100 ml bottle of Bentley for Men Black Edition Eau de Parfum sells for $87.91 (£69).
