John McIlroy, CNN
Car manufacturers generally avoid looking backward. Nostalgia can inspire but it can also give the impression that a brand’s best days are behind it.
For its 100th birthday however, Bentley has unveiled a new concept car that references some of the firm’s greatest models, while dropping hints about its future designs.
The EXP 100 GT is a two-door, four-seat behemoth measuring 19 feet (5.8 meters) in length. It’s designed to show what a Bentley GT might look like in the year 2035, complete with a pure-electric powertrain and self-driving capabilities.
These are obvious features for a futuristic concept. But the EXP 100 GT also explores what luxury customers may want over the next decade. And, most significantly, all of these design elements, materials and finishes are actively being considered or developed back at Bentley’s headquarters in England.
“There are some references to classic Bentleys,” chief exterior designer John Paul “JP” Gregory said, showing CNN the vehicle ahead of Wednesday’s reveal. “But … we took the decision to create a car that shows what makes us who we are, but also one that reflects on what type of brand we want to be in the future.”
The headlights and grille are prime examples. Bentleys tend to feature two large lights either side of the nose, but on the EXP 100 GT the flush grille is flanked by single headlamps.
“It’s something that we’re able to do with new light technologies, and the grille itself is also fully lit,” Gregory said, adding that this configuration “references some Bentleys from before the Second World War.”
