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00:30thank you very much for for letting me be your chauffeur good experience i hope so well let's
00:37let's see let me start by asking about this car so what's what's the car we're in now frank
00:42we are in a flying spur our latest edition was the fabulous v8 plug-in hybrid so brand new i would
00:52say a very nice specification i've not seen that so far it looks really great yeah it's it's pretty
00:57impressive how and plug-in hybrid so in combination with the v8 i think the sensation is is where we
01:03are so yeah driving us mostly switched yeah that's the driver frank not the car i think it's just
01:11it's definitely the car yeah so how important are plug-in hybrids what do they do for you
01:16i think that the plug-in hybrid is uh not only over bridging technology is really convincing
01:21it meets a lot of demands number one it adds some i call it always a little bit of electric
01:27magic to the car because with this instant torque the throttle response you can feel
01:31make something different out of the car you can drive it fully electric for inner city for
01:36short distance the short distance with the latest battery technology is
01:41let me call it 40 40 40 miles real world including the heating you need depending on the temperature
01:49here in england you need a little bit more often than the air condition and all this stuff running
01:52but then you have the long-range capabilities um with the with the v8 and there are a lot of tax
01:59benefits do you know how your customers are using these vehicles are they actually plugging them in or
02:06are they just taking the tax benefits and running in the bentley case we're still waiting to get some
02:11more really data to get evidence out of it but the biggest benefit is in the bentley use and we know
02:17our customers they don't have big mileage yeah so they don't use the car every day we all know a
02:23modern car after i would say eight weeks ten weeks you have to charge it for 12 volt purpose anyway
02:29yeah so this comes over with the car when the moment you you you plug it in it's charged the complete
02:34car is charged so it's very healthy for for the car in general and for the use of the customer so i
02:40expect they charge um i don't have the data i don't have the evidence but they're plugging in that's
02:46the ice yeah i would expect a plug-in look let me take you back you've been in the job what 10 months
02:52nine months seven seven months what's what's on your to-do list it's in in general but it is
02:58well same in bentley then in in wall as all other car companies we have to we have to manage the
03:05transition from the traditional ice engine uh to electric cars over a period i would say now
03:13for the next 10 years introducing electric cars but also seeing and coming back to the plug-in hybrid
03:20the plug-in hybrid has now really a big big acceptance of the customers because a lot of
03:25them got experience a lot of them are thrilled by the power and the the practicality you have
03:32it's also it it leads away on charging but you have a backup and i think that's that's what people
03:40convince of the technology but managing these transitions is the biggest thing and in the
03:46bentley case introducing the first electric car we expect in 27 being a luxury urban suv but also to
03:54have an outlook on the next generation cars of a flying spur of a continental of a bentaga
04:00what is the right thing to do and this transition is a lot about timing and on timing are you glad
04:09that your predecessors didn't rush towards electrification quicker now with hindsight
04:14looking what's happening in the market are you happy with your your timing i would i would say
04:19i expect that in 27 we are a little bit more back to normal at the moment we have an overswing on the
04:27maybe negative side of of the acceptance of the electric cars i expect we come back to normal more
04:34cars will be on the market more experience will be out range will grow but yeah i think timing wise
04:40could be could be very good so you're talking at the moment about your first all-electric car being
04:46the urban suv yes uh which we'll see in 2026 on sale 2027 i understand yes uh are bentley customers
04:57sort of screaming here frank come on we want electric cars do they the bentley customers really want
05:02electric cars they i cannot say they force me yeah i think that's that's fair to say are there
05:10plenty customers that are excited about it yes um but we see a clear split we have also some people that
05:16say no don't don't bother me with an electric car i i don't like it yeah um very very honest um but
05:24we're also looking for new customers we are looking for customers they are these tech seekers they're
05:29looking for the latest greatest they're looking for an exclusive car that is electric are these all
05:35today already better customers no i don't think so and is that why you're doing this that's why you're
05:40doing a smaller one as well yes that's an opportunity definitely and it's different to what we offer
05:45today if you want to go for a more compact car you go for the electric car the bigger car is the
05:50bentley and the plan currently is for the whole range to be fully electric by 2035 yeah we adapted
05:58that original plan was 2030 but with all the market feedback we get we said if if we are too quick
06:05that could overstretch us as a company so we decided 2035 is the target so get me excited about you the
06:14first all electric bentley what's it uh i mean it's out testing now is it it's uh we will yeah we are
06:20testing uh what we call uh the test mules right not the final design but yes these cars are now when
06:28they're in preparation you get a lot what you know from from bentley what is the craftsmanship is
06:34is materials is is the nice design interior exterior because there's nothing like this is it
06:39it's it will be more modern interpretation but you will find it will not say we will keep
06:46stitching on leather or bringing wood in the car yeah because this is traditionally is also questioned
06:52by customers and that also prospects and then you get a i think a really astonishing drive plane
06:58uh don't ask on power it's enough it's enough i would say it's more than enough and uh it's really
07:08good driving it's very very good driving with steering braking all this stuff all that what makes
07:14and bentley is a driver's car yeah this is why we have to ride well so you're driving it yeah yeah
07:19absolutely i'm i'm glad for that but you're going into new territory you for for new people how do you
07:24think your existing customer base are they going to be looking at thinking i want one of those as well
07:29i hope so i hope so first this is this is what you have to find this as a proper um to keep that in
07:37balance to have traditional bentley elements add something new add some excitement and make a make a
07:43new car and our our communication is all about that's the next bentley it did not happen so often
07:52that the new bentley appears yeah an all-new bentley and that's a complete new car that's excitement
07:59in itself and you talk about tech a lot how are you going to i mean as you're saying this interior
08:06this car is is just pure bentley and it's british craftsmanship at its best how are you going to
08:12integrate the technology that your new customers want and it still be bentley that's one of the
08:18trickiest parts of it i would say i've seen the solutions uncle you know a lot of decisions have
08:23been made yeah but the blend the blend is really good to have for sure you need there's more
08:31possibilities on what to use in the car but to to simplify it on one head but not to skip all the
08:39buttons all the things that are just practical and we would never go away from it so there's no reason to
08:44have not a door opener in the door or the window opener or things like that keep it easy direct
08:51access wherever possible you have more complex things to use or if you want there the screen helps
08:58you there's there's something also that's very bentley which you get the best of both worlds in this car
09:04because we're running on ev power at the moment but i can put my foot down and i hear the bentley
09:10raw yeah what does a better ev sound like then it's also an a lively and ongoing debate and the
09:17company you can imagine a lot of experts and i have to be honest a lot of good ideas from our engineers
09:24and and designers around that how to execute too early to talk on it exactly but you can imagine your
09:33range is very big from pure imitation to interpretation to real world sound where is exactly the point of
09:41petis we made a decision i hope when when we can talk a little bit more about that in detail it's
09:48convincing and do you think the new car will share a lot of technology within within the group from your
09:56former employers porsche for example do you think bentley buyers mind that the car shares a lot i mean
10:03this car does as well but uh probably more so in the the ev well it's it's also the truth is part of
10:11bentley's history is is sharing parts for many many many years the interesting thing is the knowledge
10:17meanwhile within bentley to on one hand side have access to high-end technology but bringing a
10:26bentley interpretation and then modify the car that it gets really a bentley that's that's really very
10:32very good knowledge on the engineering side of the marketing side the design side to do so so the
10:38customer will not see it will not feel it it's different cars from character on the other hand you
10:44benefit from having access to high-end technology can you can you identify now you've been in bentley
10:51for a while what what makes bentley what is the bentley difference that we'll also see in the in the ev
10:57for me it's this this uh idol of having oh there's always gt uh genes around so it's a lot about self
11:06driving it it's a car that can be chauffe but a lot of our customers are driving it and they enjoy the
11:12drive and then you have this blend of one hand side the craftsmanship as you said yeah english
11:19craftsmanship definitely at its best a lot of passion you can see in all the details you can
11:25that we can see here around also a lot of knowledge to do so but then also there's a lot of technology
11:31in such a car it's a it's one of the most complex hybrid drivetrains the world and it it just the the
11:38level of execution and how good the cars are driving and this is very very unique and i think
11:44you have enough power in the car just about yeah yeah you have enough statues but it's not it's not
11:51arrogant at all what's important for us and and being british is important as well i would say yes
11:57definitely british is is a very important part of it and interestingly well myself not british but always
12:06uh was thrilled by the craftsmanship and the history behind us if you're in the country it's not so
12:13for sure you're used to it it's just normal but the moment you're going out you're asking talking to
12:18especially chinese customers customers from asia from from the us they are all thrilled about it and
12:26they are all keen on coming here to cheshire see the origins and walking through our
12:33our manufacturing side and and always built in britain and always as long as bentley exists they
12:42will never ever terrorists don't ask me on tariffs but uh no it will stay here as there's no other
12:49place where you can build a bentley than here that's that's good news what's more likely to keep you awake
12:55at night is it is it trump and tariffs is it the china issue with sales slowing in china which
13:03east east east or west which is more worrying what keeps me awake at night is both honestly because
13:09china is a little bit more predictable it's not moving that quick but we see a decline in the market
13:15there's several well uh surveys we are doing and and judgment when it comes back will it come back on
13:22the same level we will see but there's for certain it's it's a weaker period we expect it will come back
13:28um us is more difficult as it's unpredictable at the moment we all know why we'll see how it pays out
13:36now you're you're not challenged in the same way that uh other car makers are with the thoughts of
13:42chinese car makers coming over and and eating your lunch we don't see the chinese luxury car brands but
13:50there are on the horizon one particular new british luxury brand that is going to be targeting
13:57bentley and also an existing british brand that's targeting bentley let's start with the
14:03the startup first what's your advice to anybody trying to get into this luxury market what should
14:08they be doing number one i would say well competition is always good it's it's it's driving
14:14uh ideas it's uh generating new ideas everybody has to move a little bit i did many many years racing
14:23i like the competition so we'll see the good thing is well let's start and then see who does best
14:30um is there space yes there's always space for new ideas and and new competitors for sure if you're
14:35doing a good job yes is it is it an easy market no it's not because um you have high-end customers long
14:43established businesses this is not enough you cannot you never can lean back and say well i'm
14:49in the market for me it's no problem yes whatever whatever is it's just a given it's not you have you
14:54have free to run and that's the interesting part of competition but it must be product it must be your
15:00sales organization it must be um you have to say it's organized everything what is around that including
15:05the brand recognition of the brand knowledge of the brand everything around that not an easy mark
15:12can jaguar build a better bentley than bentley um i don't know because i haven't driven the checker
15:18let's uh let's wait to see you spoke about racing racing is very much in bentley's heritage is that still
15:27the case i would say it's it's still the case and uh racing is one thing is on track but the other
15:32thing is is mentality to to achieve targets uh to work concentrated with the team on a on a car on the
15:40project um that's also still part of the heritage what something i can feel in my my daily business
15:47yeah i would say yes it is at maybe one day it's not the highest priority at the moment because the
15:55the transformation to electrification if i'm honest it also costs a hell of money yeah and uh one approach
16:02within bentley is we are self-funded so we have always a positive net cash flow what we are looking
16:09for that we can invest in our products for ourselves so we don't have to ask um somewhere the business
16:17for money and that keeps us self-confident but keeps us also focused on the business side does
16:24electrification and racing go hand in hand um it's i would say electrification yes pure battery electric
16:35vehicles um maybe not at the moment on the other hand if i see the progress that is uh for example
16:43formerly i think that's the most most well-done part of electric racing now introducing fast charging
16:49during pit stops remembering a couple of years ago they changed the cars because the range was not
16:56there now can chart even charge the car during the race yeah that just shows progress is possible and
17:03and is driven by racing and this is pushing again the limits and the boundaries so this is welcome what
17:09makes you when you step into into your office in the mornings what makes you proudest when you look
17:15around in the business it's uh it's a lot about the people and their passion behind again in small bits
17:23and pieces it's always the outlook working on super exciting cars and with a super exciting brand with
17:30a highly motivated team also generating from time to time we have we meet by weekly in a we call it
17:37product run table and then discussing progress on projects but also new ideas for projects of
17:43products variants and this is this is really a lot of fun and you can see the glance in in the eyes
17:51of the of my colleagues thinking on new cars and new technology and how to make things different
17:58better exciting that's a big motivation i'm gonna ask you two more questions before we uh before i drop
18:06you off and thank you again for letting me be your your chauffeur now this car comes with what i think is
18:11is one of the best audio systems in the world in cars it's made by uh by name yeah now we're not
18:20going to sing this isn't cardboard karaoke but if you were listening to something on your name stereo
18:25in your uh bentley flying spur what would you be listening to oh it is very different i have a i have a
18:32playlist that i use normally in in cars to test the stereo this is a wide range this
18:38from classic opera to classic pop to is it easy you find you'll find more or less everything in
18:49because it it's where you can test the systems and if i would really like to listen i would go for the
18:55opera opera okay that's good well the the final question that i have um is a simple one have i been as
19:02a chauffeur give me marks out of ten i marked your car out of ten so you mark me as a chauffeur out of
19:07ten this was a this was a pretty good job even even the turning was smooth no hectic very very good
19:15i give you nine out of nine out of ten okay always something to improve exactly well then as long as you
19:22don't expect more than nine out of ten for this car but uh but frank thank you i really appreciate your
19:28time and thank you for letting me be your chauffeur thank you
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