What Lies Beneath

As Old As Time But Underpinned By Modern Marvels, The Conti GT And The Faroes Have A Lot In Common

- Tom Ford

“It’s the first gasoline car that’s ever been down here. Actually, it’s the first car. Definitely the first Bentley,” ponders Teitur Samuelsen, CEO of P/F Eystur-og Sandoyartunlar as we gingerly drive a brand-new Bentley Continental GT into a giant and appallingly dirty hole. “Are you sure it’s going to be OK? It can get pretty rough.”

“Everything is fine,” I mutter back through the walkietalkie, quietly yet firmly stabbing the lift button on the Conti’s air suspension. “We have raised the suspension and have four-wheel drive. This car is essentially made for this kind of environment.”

I can feel the side-eye through 20ft of clear air and a double-glazed, 70kg car door.

Probably because I’m lying. The Continental – in this spec – is a super-sports GT, and I’m crawling it into a very much unfinished subsea tunnel over rocks the size of grapefruits. The Bentley’s red, glossy paintwork slides under the harsh, wildly intermittent lighting like a clot of blood oozing through an artery. I am beginning to regret my overconfidence. Again.

“We’ve paused the blasting for 90 minutes,” replies Teitur, with only the slightest of dubious pauses. “So we need to do whatever you need to do quickly. We just passed under the seabed, by the way. The roundabout is about another three-quarters of a kilometre.”