Bentley’s first-ever, electric concept car is a luxury fever dream
new york — Although most of the notable debuts at the Geneva Motor Show are teased months ahead of time, Bentley came out swinging Tuesday with a surprise showing of the marque’s first-ever, pure-electric concept.
The Bentley EXP 12 Speed 6e Concept is meant to explore the possibility of Bentley producing a true all-electric vehicle for production; it’s a separate endeavor from the recently promised plug-in hybrid Bentayga SUV, which is due out in 2018. If it is received well by VIP guests and analysts at future car circuit stops in Shanghai and Pebble Beach, said execs, the convertible could lead to an electric vehicle from Bentley by 2021. (The car, while drivable, is one of one, so in order to prevent damage it will not be available for prospective buyers to drive.)
“This will give us a very good indication of where we are,” Wolfgang Durheimer, the chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, said during an interview in Geneva. “Do we need it? Or are we okay to still have combustion engines and hybrids, that’s it? This is what we want to find out.
“We want to send a clear message: ‘If we do it, this is what it would look like.’ EVs don’t necessarily need to look like a refrigerator. They can appeal. They can be sexy. They can be emotional.”
And sexy emotion they have provided in spades. Most notable, at first glance is the open-pore leather which covers the entire cabin and rear bank of the car. The oxblood patina looks so juicy and rare, it might as well be tartare, and contrasts beautifully with the stark-white exterior. The front hood is split into two air vents and has “crystal cut” round Led headlights and a massive lattice-style Bentley front grille done in silver and rubbed copper. When the car starts, a white “6e” symbol illuminates beneath the mesh of the grille. — Bloomberg