1961 Bentley S2 Continental Receives 400-HP EV Conversion

Lunaz specializes in taking classic British cars and converting them to run on electric powertrains. The company's latest creation turns a 1961 Bentley S2 Continental into a zero-emissions luxury machine.

This Bentley is the rarest classic car yet to receive Lunaz's powertrain conversion. The company reports that this is just one of four examples that exist of this specific model with a body by James Young.

At this time, it was still possible to buy a rolling chassis from the automaker and then supply the vehicle to a coachbuilder for a certain body. James Young gave this Bentley prominent fenders and a two-door cabin. The powertrain originally consisted of a 6.2-liter V8 and automatic transmission.

The Lunaz conversion dumps the V8 in favor of an electric setup making 400 horsepower (298 kilowatts) and 530 pound-feet (719 Newton-meters) of torque. The builder reports that the Bentley can hit 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 6.9 seconds.

Beyond the new powertrain, Lunaz installs things like a fully adjustable coil-spring suspension with a lever arm damper, and the driver can configure this setup from in the cabin. The brakes are now discs with six-piston calipers in front and four-pot stoppers at the back.

 Lunaz also does a full restoration on each car it builds. The company strips the vehicle to bare metal and then puts everything back together. Inside, there are additional sustainable materials, like carpets from regenerated nylon fiber and leather using tanning from olive leaves. Plus, the wood veneers have certification from the Forestry Stewardship Council.

This build isn't the first electrified Bentley from Lunaz. In 2021, it did the EV conversion to a 1961 Bentley S2 Continental Flying Spur, but this one had a four-door body by H.J Mulliner. At that time, the creation had a starting price of £350,000, which was then equivalent to about $490,000.

In 2022, Lunaz introduced a pair of classic Land Rover Range Rover conversions. One was a convertible that took inspiration from the SUV in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy. The other was a long-wheelbase Town model with amenities like a 1,300-watt stereo, heated and cooled cup holders, a wireless charging pad, and even a watch winder for four timepieces.