Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 hybrid supercar concept revealed ~ station of gear

Bentley rocks the Geneva show with a surprise hybrid two-seater supercar – a potential future rival to the Aston Vanquish and Ferrari F12

2015-03-02 20:18

The big surprise of the Geneva Motor Show has arrived – and there’s a Bentley badge on the bonnet. Revealed at the VW Group’s pre-show bash, the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept is a breathtaking vision of how a future Bentley supercar could look. Aimed at exotic front-engined GTs like the Aston Martin Vanquish and Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, the EXP 10 Speed 6 will form a fifth separate product line if and when it makes production.

“The showcar has the potential to be the new pinnacle luxury two-seat sports car. It offers thrilling, driver-oriented performance, complete with trademark modern Bentley luxury and effortlessness,’ said Wolfgang Durheimer, Bentley Chairman and CEO.

“It could be a future model line, alongside the Continental GT and redefining the pinnacle of another market sector, and the styling of the EXP 10 Speed 6 could influence the expansion of the Bentley family. This is not just a new sports car concept – but the potential Bentley sports car – a bold vision for a brand with a bold future.”

Since Durheimer’s arrival at Bentley in early 2014, he’s been keen to play on the brand’s racing heritage. There’s been a string of sportier versions of existing models over the last 12 months – including the Mulsanne Speed and Continental GT3 R – but this svelte EXP 10 Speed 6 is a different proposition altogether.

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The front end if dominated by a much larger, squarer and lower-set version of the classic Bentley grille filled with a 3D mesh, while the twin-headlights are surrounded with LED rings. Short overhangs, a long sculpted bonnet and bulging rear wheel arches lay the foundations for its classic sports car proportions, while the oval taillights are mimicked by the twin tailpipes underneath.

Open the door and there’s the usual feast of stitched and quilted leather, along with machined steel, cherry wood and flashes of copper on the indicator stalks and vents. But this time the old-school luxury is mixed with the very latest modern technology, including a mechanical rev counter overlaid onto a digital instrument cluster behind the wheel and a curved, portrait-orientated central touchscreen that echoes the Porsche 918 Spyder. Behind the driver and passenger is a luggage compartment straddled by a strut brace, displayed at the show with a matching four-piece custom-made luggage set.

For now, what’s under the bonnet remains a mystery, although Bentley has confirmed that it uses a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain. We’ll bring you more information as it becomes available.

See all the latest concept cars at the Geneva Motor Show.

Jack Rix

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