Bentley experimented with the idea of three-dimensional wood interior bits on the concept back in 2015, and now you’ll actually be able to get it on the new Flying Spur. It’s funky. I’m not sure about it. But it’s always fun to see automotive artistic experimentation.

I guess everything in the real world is technically “three-dimensional” but what Bentley means is that the wood here is cut to have topographical texture, rather than be smooth and flat like most pieces of hard interior trim.

The look kind of mirrors the quilting texture some luxury cars (and !) have in their leather. Take a closer look:

Bentley’s proclaims that these wood parts “are not made using veneers, as is typically applied to the fascia and waist rails. Instead, each is created from a single block of timber. To achieve the three-dimensional surface, skilled operators carve the wood with a multi-axis routing machine to a tolerance of 0.1mm, less than the thickness of a human hair, hand-finishing the cuts for perfect results. An open-pore lacquer is then applied, allowing the true color and texture of the wood to shine through for a refined, natural appearance.”

Apparently the American Walnut and American Cherry timber used here “are sustainably sourced from North American hardwood forests.” Bentley included this piece of context, which I appreciated because trees are interesting:

“American Walnut and American Cherry are both popular growing stock in North America, offering an abundant supply of sustainable wood. American Cherry woodland is increasing by more than seven million cubic meters each year after harvest, while American Walnut is increasing by three million cubic meters.”

Wait, did you say you wanted more wood facts? Bentley also provided:

American Walnut is one of the most sought-after species of wood in markets around the world. It is darker than European Walnut, as well as tough, hard and of medium density. American Cherry is highly prized for furniture and interior joinery – the wood finish varies from rich red to reddish brown.”

I used to think wood interiors in cars was the worst. My first real loves were tuner cars, where wood trim has absolutely no place, and I thought any trace of organic material in a car made no sense. I’ve since changed my tune dramatically, and have come to appreciate the warm richness of wood trim. I think this is actually going to look pretty cool.

Here’s another peek at how it looks in the cabin:

And here’s the car it’s going in, in case you forgot what a Flying Spur looks like: