Bentley Continental GT: Buy diamond rims, get free Bentley

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Bentley Continental GT: Buy diamond rims, get free Bentley

Forbes has a strange story. Ok, they usually have strange stories, but this time it's not because of their strange car "tests", it's because of an unusual marketing attempt by Asanti.

Employee discounts have nothing on this deal — buy a set of four Asanti diamond-encrusted wheels, and they’ll throw in a Bentley GT for free. Of course, those rims will run you a cool million dollars, but when you factor in the cost of the Bentley, you’re really only paying about 850 large for the rims.

“Last year we were the first company to offer cubic zirconia-encrusted wheels for $250,000,” said Cynthia White, Asanti’s sales manager. She stood protectively by the glass-encased wheel on display at the SEMA show while a continuous stream of industry observers snapped photos and marveled at the glittery 1,100-carat creation handset by jeweler IceLink. “This year, no other company offers real diamonds in their wheels, except us,” she said of the two-year-old brand, which is the elite subbrand of luxury wheelmaker Lexani.