Typically when you see an automaker get involved in the production of a digital short, it's for their own gain. This time it's a bit different though. Really different, actually.
Bentley Motors has put together a "short" featuring big skiing extraordinaire, Christopher Davenport. Sprinkled with jaw dropping cinematography and some "car porn" shots of the Continental GT V8, the piece titled "In Search of Snow" is really a glimpse into Davenport's life and a small Colorado town.
Though I was expecting a playboy kind of lifestyle a la another skiing icon, Jon Olsson, it's a much different take that's, frankly, fascinating. After watching the Olympics tonight, that featured downhill skiing, it seems to be great timing on Bentley's part.
Now I know some of you may find the shots of Davenport piloting the Bentley-plated marketing car a bit ridiculous, but after driving a 2014 Flying Spur — equipped with snow tires in three to six inches of snow — in a New Jersey "state of emergency" to get my significant other to work, I can attest to these vehicles' remarkable capabilities in the snow. Just put the suspension in "high" mode and all your worries drift away.
I felt like I was driving my Volkswagen Touareg again, which was one of the best vehicles I've ever driven in the white stuff. Just like the Touareg, these cars just cut through the powder with zero drama, complete control and predictability of what it will do next.
Probably the funniest thing was seeing folks shoveling out their driveways and gawking at a Bentley making its way down the unplowed block in some properly brutal conditions. I'll never forget those faces.
Anyhow, enjoy the clip below!
In Search of Snow, the second in a series of short documentary films commissioned by Bentley Motors, offers a look into the life of professional big mountain skier Chris Davenport. Davenport reveals his personal journey, beyond free skiing and competition, including his pride in his family, life on the road and an insider's perspective on the small mountain town of Crested Butte. In the business of fun, sometimes the perfect turn is there for the taking, even when it isn't in deep powder or on the road.