Big-mountain town Aspen attracts a wintertime mix of fashionable ‘glitterati’ and adrenaline-fuelled athletes who test their skills on the famous ski slopes. This blend of luxury and performance proved the perfect backdrop for Bentley Motors to display its all-wheel drive model line-up alongside the very latest in winter fashion-wear being paraded on the runway at Aspen Fashion Week.
‘Winged-B’ Sky-dive stunt launches Aspen Fashion week
Bentley Motors launched its inaugural Aspen Fashion Week sponsorship with a spectacular sky-dive by extreme athlete and local resident, Ted Davenport, inspired by Bentley’s iconic ‘winged-B’ emblem. Launching himself from a helicopter at 3,000 feet, Davenport glided through the air while guests looked skyward in anticipation of his landing. He then deployed his Bentley-branded parachute over the runway, landing in nearby Wagner Park before taking a celebratory bow on the runway of Aspen Fashion Week alongside Bentley Motors Inc’s president & COO, Christophe Georges.
While Aspen Fashion Week is renowned for showing the latest winter fashions, Davenport wore a more utilitarian wingsuit to assist him during his daring high-speed descent.
“Bentley is known for pushing the limits of luxury and performance, so extreme athlete, Ted Davenport, was a fitting partner for presenting our sponsorship of Aspen Fashion Week,” said Georges.
Bentley Continentals tested on snow course
During the course of the week-long event, Bentley hosted media and prospective customers with test drives of its all-wheel drive Continental model range. The 567-hp GT coupe, GTC convertible and Flying Spur sedan and the extreme 631-hp Supersports Convertible ISR (Ice Speed Record) all navigated the wintery conditions with ease.
Invited guests left town for the snow-covered grounds of T Lazy 7, a ranch where Bentley Driving instructors, flown in from the UK, drove guests at exhilarating high-speeds across a snowy meadow, specially created for the winter driving experience. While the Bentleys rapidly traversed the challenging course, the occupants remained safely cocooned in a luxurious cabin with hand-crafted leather, book-matched wood veneers, knurled stainless steel and heated seats.
Bentley and Krug toast peak performance
For the perfect end to a day of winter driving and fashion, Bentley hosted a dinner at the Aspen Mountain Club. Perched atop Ajax Mountain, guests raised a glass of Krug as a toast to peak performance while watching a short film ‘In Search of Snow’ starring Red Bull extreme athlete, Chris Davenport. In the film, Davenport explores Colorado’s famed scenic and winding San Juan Skyway in a Bentley Continental GTC convertible.
About Bentley’s all-wheel drive system
Bentley’s Continental range is ideally suited for winter driving with its state-of-the-art, all-wheel drive system employing an advanced Torsen differential. This ensures safe yet dynamic sports car handling on all road surfaces and in all weather.
The power split for the all-wheel drive system has a 40:60 rear bias for sporting handling and spirited mid-corner acceleration. However, it can adjust the power split instantaneously between the front and rear wheels depending on the available grip. The sophisticated Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system provides additional security and grip whatever the driving style.
In February 2011, Finnish motorsport legend Juha Kankkunen, driving the all-wheel drive Continental Supersports Convertible on the frozen Baltic Sea, achieved an astonishing speed of 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h) eclipsing his own ice speed record of 199.83 mph (321.6 km/h) set in 2007 in the original Continental GT.