CHANNEL R-TYPE CONTI, BENTLEY

A big Bentley is a quintessentially old world vehicle concept to me. The kind of car that exists beyond the reach of most luxury rivals, one where you go to escape the stresses and strains of the everyday, into a world where the very latest infotainment technologies and efficiency-boosting measures just don’t figure.

So it’ll be fascinating to see how Crewe updates the concept of a big Bentley for the electric age. This won’t be a limousine, of course, and that’ll free the designers’ hands somewhat, but will Bentley simply throw existing reference points in the bin and design a range-topping GT from a completely clean sheet?

I would love it if Crewe took inspiration from its gorgeous 1950s R-type Continental to produce something long of bonnet and sleek of silhouette. Not a modern pastiche – but something of the same spirit, a car that can embody supreme elegance, pioneering craftsmanship and unparalleled luxury for a new era.