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When Bentley unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1994 their Concept Java, this compact and powerful concept vehicle met with approval from dealers and customers alike. The company’s styling team lead by Graham Hull in conjunction with experts from Design Research Associates had created an impressive four seater cabriolet. Work on the design had progressed further as a suitable new engine had been decided upon - a V8 engine of ½ litres capacity developed by Cosworth Engineering, a subsidiary of Vickers famous for tremendously successful Formula 1 high performance engines. Though the engine was much smaller than that of any current or indeed any post-war Bentley, fitted with twin turbochargers quite impressive performance figures were calculated (0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds; top speed in excess of 170 mph (273 km/h), electronically governed to 155 mph (250 km/h).
However despite being a tremendous success at the Geneva Motor Show not much was heard about the project later on. The contract with BMW - Bayrische Motorenwerke, Munich - to supply a range of engines for the future models Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph and Bentley Arnage no doubt had given that company a special position with perhaps the consequence that no parallel development was allowed. This led to speculation, BMW had a role in axing Bentley Concept Java.
(Concept Java Photos courtesy by Design Research Associates Ltd.) |
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After some modifications the car now belongs to the Sultan of
Brunei