2015 Geneva Motor Show: Bentley shows off EXP 10 concept coupe
Bentley is considering adding a fifth model to its growing lineup and used the 2015 Geneva Motor Show to reveal the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept.
The sultry design of the new two-seat coupe makes up for the awkward name -- which will change if and when the EXP 10 reaches production. That could happen: Bentley’s latest addition to the family -- the Bentayga SUV due later this year -- debuted at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show as the EXP 9 F.
“The EXP 10 Speed 6 is one vision for Bentley’s future -- a powerful, exquisite and individual concept,” said Wolfgang Durheimer, chief executive of Volkswagen Group-owned Bentley. “The showcar has the potential to be the new pinnacle luxury two-seat sports car.”
The new model would be positioned alongside the existing Continental GT V-8, the base version of Bentley’s most popular model in history. No powertrain details were announced, though they’ll likely be similar to the all-wheel-drive Continental: a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that makes 500 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque.
The design of the EXP 10 also previews what Bentley’s design future holds. The current look -- on the Continental GT coupe and convertible, its Flying Spur sedan counterpart, and the top-end Mulsanne sedan -- is handsome but getting worn out after years of moderate changes.
The EXP 10’s face is a dramatic interpretation of the current cars’ quad-headlight design, with a large egg-shaped main light flanked by a smaller LED unit on the outside. The rear of the car is more horizontally oriented than the rounded look of the current Continental and wouldn’t look out of place with an Aston Martin badge glued to it.
The two-seat EXP 10 coupe sits lower than the Continental and has a sleeker, more streamlined profile. The mesh grille, door handles, exhausts and side vents are all 3-D printed metal, a bleeding-edge technique whose cost may be prohibitively high on the production coupe.
It’s too early to tell what Bentley would charge for such a coupe if it does reach production. Given that it would be a counterpart to the Continental GT V-8, the EXP 10’s price could start in the same $177,000 ballpark.
The EXP 10 is just one of numerous high-end cars breaking cover at the 2015 Geneva Auto Show, which is open to the media on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the general public from Thursday to March 15.
Other debuts include new models from Ferrari, Aston Martin, McLaren, Lamborghini and Porsche.
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