• Bentley Tries Their Hand At The Sports Car


    All Photos Courtesy of Bentley

    Bentley isn't a brand that makes you think of exhilarating speeds and overwhelming power. The British carmaker that's more in line with the idea of caviar and vacation homes in the Alps, is looking to expand their market into the sports car arena.

    Believe it or not, the luxury automobiles have roots deep rooted in racing. Their first go-round was in 1922 when they entered a modified road car into the Indianapolis 500, quickly followed by their participation in the RAC Tourist Trophy. They continued the endeavor until 1930 when they won the Les Mans Grand Prix claiming they had learned enough about agility and speed.

    The automaker faced financial difficulty surrounding the Great Depression and ended up being silently purchased from their biggest competitor, Rolls Royce. The fellow luxury brand established Bentley with their current image of sedans and refinery.

    Flash forward to the 2014 Blancpain Endurance Series when M-Sport entered a Bentley and won the Silverstone round, marking Bentley's first foray in racing since 1930. Since then, Bentley has apparently been secretly working on their return into the sports car market.



    At the Geneva Motor Show, Bentley announced their next concept in the form of their EXP 10 Speed 6, a coupe reminiscent of aircraft which Bentley refers to as "a British interpretation of a high performance two seater sports car." Not much has been unveiled about the concept car and Bentley is being coy about the topic of production.

    At this point it is all speculation. Bentley hasn't even mentioned what type of engine would be used, though with the overwhelming amount of hybrid and electric vehicles presented at the show, they did mention the potential for a hybrid engine to be paired with their high tech powertrain. They even showed off some of their new technological aptitude in the form of a front grille, exhaust tips, and door handles printed in metal from 3D printers.

    If it were to see the light of the assembly line, some of the luxury details may be skipped over. Diamond-etched headlamps in a quilted pattern and milled cherrywood paneling may be relegated to the list of optional add ons.

    No price or potential production date has been mentioned, but the car certainly has potential. If it were to face production, do you think it would appeal to their highfalutin clientele?
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