Bentley GT concept
Pure-electric one-off 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds
THIS is the Bentley EXP 100 GT, a birthday present from the British brand to itself to mark its centenary – but also a look ahead to techniques and tech that could be introduced over the next 15 years.
The EXP 100 GT is an ultra-luxurious, pure-electric grand tourer that’s designed to show how Bentley’s approach to ‘enjoying travel’ would look in 2035. At 5.8 metres, the car is longer than the current Mulsanne, but its roofline is no higher than that of the Continental GT.
There are significant developments in Bentley’s design approach at the front, where the double headlights have been replaced by single units. Thanks to the electric powertrain, the grille is closed off, and Bentley has used this to experiment with lighting. The car’s rear rejects all of the brand’s current tail-light designs for a slimmer yet more complex motif.
Its cabin is designed to operate in three different layouts, including as an autonomous two-seater, with the seats far back and the steering wheel housed out of sight in the bulkhead. But if either of the front two seats is moved forward, fold-down seats behind can extend the EXP 100 GT’s passenger capacity.
Bentley claims that the car would use solid-state batteries for a range of 435 miles, and four electric motors to deliver a 0-62mph time of less than 2.5 seconds.
The cabin features a new, more natural leather developed with Bridge of Weir, and organic ‘vegan leather’ derived from grape skins that would otherwise be discarded after wine production in Italy.
Other materials used include crystal from Cumbria, embroidered cotton by Gainsborough Silk, and stitchwork from military uniform company Hand and Lock.
One of the most spectacular finishes in the cabin is Fenland Oak – 5,000-year-old
wood salvaged from long-covered river beds in Cambridgeshire, then treated with copper before more than a dozen sandings.
The cabin features a digital personal assistant which, Bentley claims, would be able to ‘record’ favourite journeys, then replay them to owners through the use of sound, light, temperature or even scent.
There are no immediate plans to put the EXP 100 GT into production. But Bentley sources suggest that existing customer feedback to some of the exterior styling ideas could result in them being adopted, at least in part, before the theoretical 2035 production date of the concept.
“The ‘vegan leather’ is derived from grapes that were used for wine production in Italy”