The new Bentley is a fly-by-wire setup with no direct linkage between throttle (gas pedal) and the engine.
There is no throttle cable.
Throttle setting on the engine is controlled by a sensor on the accelerator, and there are aftermarket mods to improve or alter throttle response. I have no clue whether modifications to the throttle control system or a malfunction and /or modification of the factory setup had any part to play in the accident.
Some modifications are software only and do not require the addition or removal of factory equipment, merely an 'upgrade'. They are also reversible.
While there is a possibility of a medical event leading to the throttle being floored and kept there, this also raises the question of whether there is any way the car could have been hacked, either by someone with direct access or through other communication means to produce a throttle response. OBD port connections are sufficient for some mods. Can that be accessed remotely, too?
(Keep in mind the proposed 'kill switches' for new cars).
Go ahead and call me paranoid, but someone who has a Bentley has means.
People with means can be subject to criminal motives, both from sane or insane malicious actors. It would be difficult to prove any such, and only access to the car's records and any orders of such modifications, provided there were any, would indicate possibilities from that. Can that software be accessed from a remote location?
Prayers up for the victims and their family.
