#IAA: Bentley Sells Out Bentayga First Year Production Run Of 3500 Units

That's great news, though I wonder how, with the very low production volumes, they can earn any profit on the vehicle or in the Bentley lineup for that matter.

Perhaps the Bentayga will be like the Tesla where VW loses money on each one sold?

Assuming each car goes out the door at $US 245,000, optioned and they earn a net profit margin of 10% once costs are allocated, Bentley will earn $85,750,000 in profit (3,500 x $24,500 margin) from the sale of those vehicles. Now question is how much has Bentley spent development, designing, and launching the vehicle? Its not unheard of for a vehicle to cost $3 billion to launch - so let's assume its $1 billion for the Bentayga. If so, Bentley/VW may not earn a return on this vanity project.

I'm sure BMW/Rolls Royce is paying close attention to how this is all going for VW.

Are you kidding? Incredible how people want this.

It's probably not so much that people want it, as much as they want to tell or show people that they have it.

All the more reason that Mercedes needs to get out its GLS Maybach sooner than later.

Bullspit! Initial "orders" are almost always dealer allocation. FCA did a big puff puff on the Chrysler 200 pre-orders but the lion's share of that was product they were pushing out to dealers. The Bentiguan is NOT generating this level of "gotta haveness" in any way.

Already hating? I wouldn't doubt that this will be the next celebrity "it" car regardless of how ugly it looks. Its a BENTLEY SUV and that is all they care.

I agree with that - Bentley is stuffing the dealer channel and filling the pipeline. Also, its really NOT a handsome vehicle.

I think the Bentayga product launch is going to match the death spiral trajectory of another pompous and pretentious vehicle that rich people would "supposedly" fall all over themselves to purchase - that launch would be the original Maybach launch of 2004 - where it made a big splash and then NO ONE CARED, you could hear the sound of crickets in the showrooms. I'll take my Bentayga in 57S guise, please!

Stop kidding yourself. This is a home run for Bentley.

This is a home run for Bentley only in the sense that inner city drug dealers, pimps, ballers, and rapppers will get an anaconda over it, buy one, bolt on twenny-fauxs, and install subwoofers. Beyond the ghetto-bling crowd, there will be few takers. This is for people with taste in their mouth.

mre30 : This vehicle did not cost $3 billion to develop since it's not a new power train, it's not a new chassis. If anything, the cost and margins are huge for this vehicle. More than the 10% you've assumed. Most of the costs will be in the bespoked details and the customization but the highest costs are already amortized with the next generation VW/AUDI/Porsche models that share the underpinnings.

like I said in another post... rich people will buy these things up. think about it, what is a trophy wife/soccer mom going to drive? definitively not your neighbor's lowly range rover

Fugly...