Celestial GT a mid-sized luxury day boat that brings Bentley’s Grand Touring ethos to the water
*Student project not affiliated with Bentley*
01
Understanding Bentley
Design Language
Mulliner Coachbuilding
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Mission: "To inspire extraordinary journeys."
Bentley redefines travel as a refined, powerful, and emotional journey — not just movement from A to B. Comfort, control, and performance are seamlessly blended for effortless long-distance luxury.
Grand Touring Experience
From Road to Ocean
Bentley’s collaboration with Contest Yachts for Contest 67CS interior by blending heritage, craftsmanship, and performance, which set up a good reference point for Developing Bentley owned Sailing Experience.
it’s time for Bentley to bring GT spirit to the sea, creating a boat that delivers effortless performance and bespoke luxury like never before.
Objective
02
Strategic Plan
180m
5m
10m
20m
50m
Entering Mid-Sized Open Day boats (10-15 m)
Bentley enters the mid-sized powerboat range to deliver owner driving, flexible while still luxury sailing experience. Unlike large yachts that focus on multi-day cruising, open boats prioritize performance, agility, and seamless connection to the sea.
$17.3 billion
The luxury yacht market is projected to grow to 17.3 billion by 2030–2032
Rising Demand in Small to Mid-Size Boats
95%
Over 95% of boats sold in the U.S. are used for personal recreation
Shifting from transportation to recreational lifestyle
Coach Building : Riva
Riva as the strongest candidate for collaboration based on their shared values on Exclusive Premium Driving Experience.
For Bentley, this extends its future vision of Grand Touring beyond the road.
For Riva, this modernizing its appeal for a new generation.
Reference Model: Rivamare
Engine Type: Stern Drive
Use Case : Day cruising
1 open-plan cabin
Length: 11.5m
Design Opportunity
This board maps an open day boat to distinguish fixed, function-critical parts from areas with greater creative flexibility, pinpointing where design innovation can be maximized without compromising performance or safety.
03
Design Process
Crease Rear Haunches Line
SCULPTED PRECISION
"a piece of reduction, not over-decorating the car but to make a clean, clear and unique statement”
I want to capture the essence of fluid surface and distinctive yet curvaceous line. Light and shadow casting a dynamic visual effect to the surface.
-- The sharply defined yet curvaceous DNA
GT Fast Back
04
Presentation
Bentley Celestrial GT
Deck: Flying Wing
The front deck features a sculpted pattern that evokes a pair of soaring wings—an elegant nod to Bentley’s iconic Flying B. This dynamic motif not only reinforces the brand's identity but also enhances the sense of motion. Flowing seamlessly into the sweeping windshield, the design creates a powerful forward thrust, capturing the spirit of Grand Touring on water.
Introducing
Bentley Iconic Design Language
The boat’s silhouette takes inspiration from Bentley’s GT Fastback design, emphasizing a flowing, coupe-like profile. While I also introduced the iconic Bentley rear haunch character line to the boat’s bodywork, adding a sense of muscular tension and prestige.
Design for Grand Touring Experience
The Celestial GT is designed for a gradual shift in mood—from the focused helm, to the semi-relaxed lounge, and finally to the fully relaxed sunbathing deck and swimming stern.
Interior: Flying Wings
The interior layout draws inspiration from Bentley’s signature ‘wing’ design found in its car dashboards. The sweeping contours wrap around the cockpit, creating a sense of protection and exclusivity while guiding the eye toward the helm.
Resting Beast Stance
The sculpted rear haunch line, a signature Bentley form expressing power and poised elegance, is reinterpreted in the boat’s hull design to evoke the same sense of muscular presence and flowing motion on water.
Hidden Elegance: Anchor
A hidden anchor system is designed to insure the seamless
appearance, echoing back with Bentley Design Philosophy of how technology is hidden into elegant design.
Hidden Elegance: Cleats
Micro Daimond patterns on Retractable Cleats elevate the detail, bringing a sense of delicate refinement to the overall design.
BLEND OF SURFACE
Modern Bentley design is also about how features are seamlessly incorporated into luxury aesthetics.
LUXURY IN LAYERS
The engine Grill is seamlessly integrated beneath the sunbathing area for an unobtrusive experience. Featuring Bentley’s iconic diamond-patterned grille, it adds another layer of refinement to the ownership experience.
ColorWays
The CMF palette preserves Bentley’s most iconic colorways—Racing Green, Vermillion, and Black Series—translating their automotive heritage into a marine context.
Product Specification
LOA (Length Overall) – 11.88 m
LWL (Length at Waterline) – 10.1 m
Max Beam – 3.5 m
Draft – 1.16 m
Number of Engines: Duo
House Power: Twin 400HP
Transmission: Sterndrive propulsion system with dual counter-rotating propellers
05
Design Research
Construction Research
Design Comes with serious research in terms of understanding the category, knowing the limitations and how I can tell a Bentley Story by examine every detail from Research Insight.
More Work In Progress...