• by Tanya Gazdik , June 22, 2022

Bentley Motors is planning its first foray into the NFT marketplace.

The luxury car brand joins other automakers with NFTs, including Kia America and Hyundai Motor Co.

The one-time NFT drop on the carbon-neutral Polygon network is scheduled for September and limited to 208 pieces. 

That number has special relevance to Bentley, being both the top speed of its fastest Grand Tourer (the Continental GT Speed) and the total production run of the iconic R-Type Continental of 1952.

The Bentley NFT will be an artwork created by Bentley Design. It will include exclusive access and rewards to holders, according to the automaker. 

Bentley is positioning this first drop to lead a long-term approach to expand and enhance Bentley ownership in the Web3 ecosystem. 

The Bentley collection will be minted on Polygon, which recently attained carbon-neutral status and has pledged to go carbon negative by the end of 2022. As a result, all Bentley NFTs will also be carbon-neutral. 

With a commitment to achieving end-to-end carbon neutrality by 2030, the same year when all Bentley vehicles will be fully battery-electric, it was vital that Bentley’s first venture into Web3 be created sustainably, per the automaker. 

Bentley customers are “living their lives online, purchasing luxury goods with digital currency, and establishing businesses in the metaverse,” says Alain Favey, member of the board for sales and marketing at Bentley Motors. 

“We’ve always engaged our customers where they explore their passions, and today that means being present in digital marketplaces and offering NFT assets,” Favey says in a release. “We’ve seen how NFTs have raised the profiles of both art and artist, and we believe the same can happen in the luxury automotive space.”

The automaker will explore other digital platforms, including NFCs (non-fungible chips), online gaming, metaverse applications, and the use of blockchain technology across the organization. 

Proceeds from the NFT and future activations will further the brand’s philanthropic efforts, supporting students in engineering, design, and manufacturing, all areas where Bentley requires new talent annually. 

Bentley also plans to support organizations working to increase sustainability efforts, especially in the transportation sector.