Yahoo Autos Ducati and Bentley Collaborate on Diavel Limited-Edition Bike
This special bike/car collaboration is the first joint project from the British and Italian brands, which are both part of Volkswagen Group.
The Diavel sports tourer will get bodywork inspired by the Bentley Batur, plus a unique paint color.
The even rarer Mulliner version gives the chance to change colors.
Don't worry, this is still Car and Driver, not Motorcycle and Rider, but news of a collaboration between Bentley and Ducati is compelling enough to persuade us to sing the praises of two wheels for a change. The Diavel for Bentley is a limited edition of Ducati's long-lived sports cruiser, inspired by the Continental-based Bentley Batur.
The explanation for the collaboration is simple since Ducati and Bentley share a familial relationship as Volkswagen Group subsidiaries; Ducati is controlled by Audi. The famous Italian motorcycle maker has previously produced other limited editions, including the Diavel 1260 Lamborghini that was created in 2021, sharing its metallic green color with the Lamborghini Sián FKP 37. Further back, before the Audi takeover, it also collaborated with Mercedes on the Diavel AMG Special Edition in 2012.
But the Diavel for Bentley is the first time the British luxury brand and Ducati have worked together on a joint project. Just 500 will be offered as a numbered limited edition, with an even more exclusive run of just 50 Bentley Mulliner editions to be sold to customers of Bentley's bespoke division offering buyers the chance to configure different colors for the saddle, the brake calipers, and the carbon-fiber bodywork. "They will be able to choose the same color as their car for the bodywork, or those from an exclusive palette selected by Mulliner's designers," according to Bentley. Because who doesn't hate it when their car and motorcycle don't match?
Other changes made by Ducati's designers include revised bodywork inspired by the design of the Batur, with side air intakes modeled after the Bentley's front grille and a new front mudguard with three longitudinal ribs that pay homage to the Batur's hood. Even the Diavel's saddle is part of the transformation with a charcoal and red color scheme like those of the Batur, plus a stitched Bentley logo. Metallic Scarab Green paintwork, the same color the Batur was shown in, will be standard.
Mechanically, the Diavel for Bentley is unchanged, using the standard motorcycle's 1158-cc liquid-cooled V-4. That's the first time the configuration has been offered with a Bentley-branded vehicle. According to Ducati, this makes 166 horsepower at 10,750 rpm and accompanies this with a peak of 93 pound-feet at 7500 rpm. There aren't any official performance figures, but given the standard Diavel's claimed 520-pound fueled curb weight, we can anticipate the Bentley edition would be likely to outdrag any of the company's four-wheeled products, including the 740-hp W-12-powered Batur itself.
The Diavel for Bentley will be delivered in a personalized wooden packing case and comes with a certificate of authenticity. And if that's not exclusive enough, buyers will also have the chance to buy matching helmets and riding jackets.
We look forward to a reverse collaboration. How about a Ducati-inspired Continental Speed?
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