Latest news with #WoolfBarnato
Miami Herald
18 hours ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Bentley's Slightly More Affordable SUV Is Impersonating A Porsche
Like it or not, the social experiment that is the ultra-luxury super SUV has been successful for automakers, and now that the Bentayga is one of those success stories, Bentley is searching for more ways of satisfying its customers. They love their Bentaygas, but in dense European city centers, the SUV is just too long to legally park on the street. To satisfy those Madrid, London, and Rome-based customers and attract a few more, the as-yet-unnamed "urban SUV" will measure less than 16.4 feet (5 meters) in length. And according to the Autoblog spies who snapped these images, we're looking at the forthcoming newbie, albeit obviously in a Porsche frock. In February of this year, the patent and trademark sleuths at CarMoses discovered two new Bentley filings that could be earmarked for the incoming SUV: Mayon and Barnato. The former likely references the active Mayon Volcano in the Philippines, since the Bentayga was named after Roque Bentayga, a rock formation on the Canary Islands within the volcanic caldera of Tejeda. The latter has been trademarked by Crewe before and references Woolf Barnato, a Le Mans-winning Bentley Boy and chairman who helped keep the company alive in the mid-1920s. When Bentley first announced this new electric SUV, it said that it would arrive in 2026, saying that it expected the market's appetite for EVs to grow to a sustainable level by then. It has since delayed that introductory date by a single year, but it ought to be worth the wait, with Bentley promising the EV will be "much more agile" than a Bentayga. Crewe did not confirm what would underpin the new SUV, but at the time of the announcement, the PPE architecture beneath the Audi Q6 e-tron and the Porsche Macan Electric seemed the most sensible. Now that our spies tell us the Porsche mule in these images is a Bentley, those suspicions are all but confirmed. Bentley says that some elements of its extraordinary EXP 15 concept will inform the styling, though exactly how can't be gleaned from the proportions of this prototype. Expect around 350-400 miles of range, fast-charging, and something new. Bentley's head of R&D, Dr. Matthias Rabe, spoke during the EV's announcement, saying that the sound would not be purely synthetic, nor a copy of what other automakers have been doing. Details would not be divulged, but he hinted that Bentley is "developing something no one else is doing right now." Stay tuned. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
TimesLIVE
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
New Bentley EXP 15 hints at the brand's luxurious electric future
Bentley has unveiled a striking ultraluxury electric concept car with three seats and an interior that artfully blends mechanical and digital elements. Revealed at Bentley's new design studio in Crewe, England, the EXP 15 is not intended for production but hints at the British brand's future styling direction. The EXP 15 takes inspiration from Bentley's early 20th century grand tourer heritage and interprets it in a modern way. The concept car has an iconic upright grille, long 'endless' bonnet and rearward cabin reminiscent of the 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman coupé, often known as the 'Blue Train'. This famous Bentley was used by then-company chair Woolf Barnato to beat a luxury express train (Le Train Bleu) in a race from Cannes to Calais in France. The concept has modern exterior surfacing, hi-tech lighting and active aerodynamic elements. Its big party trick, however, is it has three seats and three doors to provide extra legroom for the special few and has in-cabin storage for pets and hand luggage. 'Twin coach doors and part of the panoramic roof open upwards on the passenger side to allow smoother entry and exit via a passenger side seat that can swivel 45° outwards. This allows passengers to disembark with dignity for that perfect Instagram shot,' according to Darren Day, Bentley's head of interior design. 'If you look at the car we built for Her Majesty the Queen, it was designed around the aperture of the door and 'the art of arrival'. It was important for us to create that feeling here, too,' said Day. Image: Supplied The three-position passenger seat can be moved forward next to the driver in Co-pilot mode, slid back to the rear seat or reclined for Relax mode. When the car is parked, the boot space can be used as upmarket picnic seating. Under the large rear hatch are two small seats that can deploy with a fridge stocked with cold drinks, which can slide back from the rear seats for luxury tailgate parties. The cabin mixes physical features with futuristic digital elements that can be brought to the fore or melt away into the background. This includes an update of Bentley's Rotating Dashboard, which can reveal an infotainment screen or rotate back to a solid dashboard surface. The boot can be transformed into a seating area. Image: Supplied The EXP 15's full-width dashboard can act as a digital interface for infotainment or switch off to reveal a veneered wood surface visible underneath the glass. Also mounted behind the screen is a clock-like device with multiple movable and illuminated fingers — which Bentley refers to as the 'Mechanical Marvel' as it can indicate the car's direction of travel, the state of its electric charge and much more — or just be a centrepiece to look upon. Robin Page, Bentley director of design, said: 'We think people are going to get fed up with a fully digital experience and are pining for physical mechanical elements. By combining the two, you can get the best of both worlds. It's almost like wearing a beautiful mechanical watch on one wrist and a digital watch on the other. Page added that the concept car positioned the brand's new design language and also tested where the market was going. 'It's clear that SUVs are a growing segment and we understand the GT market — through four generations of the Continental GT — but the trickiest segment is the sedan, because it's changing. Some customers want a classic 'three-box' sedan shape, others a 'one-box' design and others again something more elevated. So this was a chance for us to talk to people and get a feeling.' EXP 15 is conceived as having a fully electric, all-wheel drive powertrain with a long range and quick recharging speeds, but Bentley gave no further technical details.
Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Bentley EXP 15 concept hints at brand's unconventional take on luxury EVs
The three-seat layout of the EXP 15 draws direct inspiration from the 1930 Bentley Speed Six 'Blue Train,' a car named after a publicity race involving Bentley's then-chairman Woolf Barnato and a French train. Check Offers Bentley has taken the covers off its EXP 15 concept, offering an early look at the brand's approach to its first electric vehicle, expected in 2026. Rather than following traditional design paths, the EXP 15 leans heavily into experimentation, both in form and layout, with clear references to the company's past. An unusual layout The three-seat layout of the EXP 15 draws direct inspiration from the 1930 Bentley Speed Six 'Blue Train," a car named after a publicity race involving Bentley's then-chairman Woolf Barnato and a French train. That historical connection is visible in the car's shape and seating arrangement: a right-hand driver's seat with two staggered passenger seats behind. The door layout is also unconventional, with two doors on the left side and one on the right. A custom dog bed ahead of the rear passenger seat and picnic chairs integrated into the tailgate point to lifestyle-focused additions not commonly seen in production vehicles. Also Read : Skoda Auto Volkswagen India expands portfolio with Bentley luxury cars No Engine, No Grille, New Priorities Without a combustion engine to package, Bentley's designers have rethought proportions and features. The EXP 15 retains a long front section, not for performance hardware but to house twin storage compartments accessed through centre-hinged panels. The traditional front grille has been replaced by a decorative lighting element, which Bentley calls 'digital art." Inside, the concept mixes digital screens with physical controls, and uses materials from longstanding British textile suppliers. As screens fill the dashboard, physical switches and conventional textures are still there, suggestive of a hybrid solution instead of a complete digital shift. Straddling segments in a shifting market Bentley's design chief Robin Page admits the EXP 15 does not neatly fall into a single class of vehicle. Its proportions sit somewhere between a coupe, sedan, and SUV—likely a response to the evolving preferences in the luxury segment. According to Page, customer expectations around sedan design are diverging, and the EXP 15 was developed in part to gauge interest in new formats. Also Read : Bentley Bentayga Speed unveiled as the brand's most powerful SUV yet. Here's what it gets Balancing experimentation with brand familiarity In spite of its unorthodox layout, the EXP 15 still retains several fundamental characteristics of the modern Bentleys—grand size, aggressive road presence, and focus on long-distance comfort. Ettore Bugatti once supposedly described early Bentley 3-Litre as "the fastest lorry in the world," underlining the firm's tradition of combining performance with bulk. The EXP 15, electric and asymmetrical as it is, follows that same path of embracing size and distinctiveness, even if the execution feels more speculative than production-ready. The concept's value lies less in being a preview of a specific model and more in showing how Bentley is grappling with what a luxury electric vehicle could be—one that may not need to look or function like anything the brand has produced before. Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India, Upcoming EV Bikes in India. First Published Date: 09 Jul 2025, 09:27 AM IST
Auto Blog
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Bentley EXP 15 concept previews new design direction
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Heritage-Inspired Concept Previews Bentley's Electric Future Bentley's latest concept car is a hulking tribute to the automaker's past that provides hints about the future. Measuring over 16 feet long, the EXP 15 is inspired by the 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman coupe—better known as the 'Blue Train'—but provides the first clues of the design language and tech features of Bentley's first EV, an SUV smaller than the Bentayga due to be revealed in 2026. 0:01 / 0:09 When will Toyota build an EV with its simulated manual transmission? Watch More In a press release, Bentley emphasized that the EXP 15 is not a direct preview of that SUV (or any other production vehicle, as it's a static model that isn't drivable). But 'subtle design cues' from that model have been incorporated into the EXP 15's exterior, and the interior's tech features could be incorporated into future Bentley models as well. New Life For An Old Shape The EXP 15's namesake received its Blue Train nickname when Bentley chairman Woolf Barnato used it to race a train of that name from Cannes in the south of France to Calais in the north. Barnato made it across the English Channel to London before the train reached Calais, creating a foundational piece of Bentley lore. Ninety-five years later, the distinctive shape of the Bentley Blue Train's coachbuilt Gurney Nutting bodywork is making a comeback. Like the Blue Train, the EXP 15 isn't an SUV. But its tall body sides and upright front end work well in the current era, where SUVs continue push aside traditional cars. They combine with an elongated hood and steeply-raked back window—also prominent features of the Blue Train—to create a look intended to test customer tastes. 'It's clear that SUVs are a growing segment and we understand the GT market—through four generations of the Continental GT—but the trickiest segment is the sedan because it's changing.' Bentley design boss Robin Page said in a statement. 'Some customers want a classic 'three-box' sedan shape, others a 'one-box' design, and others again something more elevated. So this was a chance for us to talk to people and get a feeling.' Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Design Details Hint At New Direction Whether a vehicle with this shape will ever roll off the production line at Bentley's United Kingdom factory is unclear, but the automaker claims some of the concept's details will. The exterior surfacing, meant to give the EXP 15 a muscular appearance, will be applied to future models, according to Bentley. The concept's exterior lighting, including headlights formed from four thin strips and LEDs arranged to suggest Bentley's current diamond-patterned grilles, hint at what's possible as well. The need to maximize range means EVs can't afford to ignore aerodynamics, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the EXP 15's front-fender vents and pair of deployable rear spoilers on a production car. The protruding taillights also help channel air around the car, Bentley claims. Less likely to reach production is the EXP 15's three-door, three-seat layout. Like an upscale Hyundai Veloster, the concept has one driver's side door and two passenger's side doors. In this case, though they're coach doors that open along with a section of the roof to make ingress and egress easier. A seat that swivels 45 degrees aids in that as well. That seat can also switch from fully upright 'Co-Pilot' mode, to slid-back 'Standard' mode, to reclined 'Relax' mode. Next-Generation Materials And Tech The EXP 15 also features an update of Bentley's current rotating central touchscreen, which can be hidden away when not in use, that now encompasses the entire dashboard. The dash can now switch from a pillar-to-pillar screen to a wood veneer without a pixel in sight. It also incorporates a physical dial that designer call the 'Mechanical Marvel,' which can be reconfigured to show the state of charge, direction of travel, and other information. High-end materials are expected in a Bentley, and the EXP 15 features a mix of old (silk jacquard textile woven at one of the U.K.'s oldest mills) and new (3D-printed titanium trim that reduces weight and waste compared to conventional processes). The concept's Pallas Gold paint also has an aluminum pigment that allows it to be used on bodywork that covers sensors, which would otherwise be unable to transmit through paint. Onward To An Electric Future Bentley didn't provide much detail on the engineering side of the EXP 15, only saying that it was designed around an all-wheel drive electric powertrain. That will soon become the norm at Bentley which, after roughly a decade of fits and starts, plans to go all-electric by 2035. That shift, heralded by a redesign of Bentley's iconic logo, will start with the aforementioned smaller SUV, but could encompass more stately models closer to the EXP 15 as Bentley builds out the lineup. About the Author Stephen Edelstein View Profile
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Bentley EXP 15 concept previews new design direction
Bentley's latest concept car is a hulking tribute to the automaker's past that provides hints about the future. Measuring over 16 feet long, the EXP 15 is inspired by the 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman coupe-better known as the "Blue Train"-but provides the first clues of the design language and tech features of Bentley's first EV, an SUV smaller than the Bentayga due to be revealed in 2026. In a press release, Bentley emphasized that the EXP 15 is not a direct preview of that SUV (or any other production vehicle, as it's a static model that isn't drivable). But "subtle design cues" from that model have been incorporated into the EXP 15's exterior, and the interior's tech features could be incorporated into future Bentley models as well. The EXP 15's namesake received its Blue Train nickname when Bentley chairman Woolf Barnato used it to race a train of that name from Cannes in the south of France to Calais in the north. Barnato made it across the English Channel to London before the train reached Calais, creating a foundational piece of Bentley lore. Ninety-five years later, the distinctive shape of the Bentley Blue Train's coachbuilt Gurney Nutting bodywork is making a comeback. Like the Blue Train, the EXP 15 isn't an SUV. But its tall body sides and upright front end work well in the current era, where SUVs continue push aside traditional cars. They combine with an elongated hood and steeply-raked back window-also prominent features of the Blue Train-to create a look intended to test customer tastes. "It's clear that SUVs are a growing segment and we understand the GT market-through four generations of the Continental GT-but the trickiest segment is the sedan because it's changing." Bentley design boss Robin Page said in a statement. "Some customers want a classic 'three-box' sedan shape, others a 'one-box' design, and others again something more elevated. So this was a chance for us to talk to people and get a feeling." Whether a vehicle with this shape will ever roll off the production line at Bentley's United Kingdom factory is unclear, but the automaker claims some of the concept's details will. The exterior surfacing, meant to give the EXP 15 a muscular appearance, will be applied to future models, according to Bentley. The concept's exterior lighting, including headlights formed from four thin strips and LEDs arranged to suggest Bentley's current diamond-patterned grilles, hint at what's possible as well. The need to maximize range means EVs can't afford to ignore aerodynamics, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the EXP 15's front-fender vents and pair of deployable rear spoilers on a production car. The protruding taillights also help channel air around the car, Bentley claims. Less likely to reach production is the EXP 15's three-door, three-seat layout. Like an upscale Hyundai Veloster, the concept has one driver's side door and two passenger's side doors. In this case, though they're coach doors that open along with a section of the roof to make ingress and egress easier. A seat that swivels 45 degrees aids in that as well. That seat can also switch from fully upright "Co-Pilot" mode, to slid-back "Standard" mode, to reclined "Relax" mode. The EXP 15 also features an update of Bentley's current rotating central touchscreen, which can be hidden away when not in use, that now encompasses the entire dashboard. The dash can now switch from a pillar-to-pillar screen to a wood veneer without a pixel in sight. It also incorporates a physical dial that designer call the "Mechanical Marvel," which can be reconfigured to show the state of charge, direction of travel, and other information. High-end materials are expected in a Bentley, and the EXP 15 features a mix of old (silk jacquard textile woven at one of the U.K.'s oldest mills) and new (3D-printed titanium trim that reduces weight and waste compared to conventional processes). The concept's Pallas Gold paint also has an aluminum pigment that allows it to be used on bodywork that covers sensors, which would otherwise be unable to transmit through paint. Bentley didn't provide much detail on the engineering side of the EXP 15, only saying that it was designed around an all-wheel drive electric powertrain. That will soon become the norm at Bentley which, after roughly a decade of fits and starts, plans to go all-electric by 2035. That shift, heralded by a redesign of Bentley's iconic logo, will start with the aforementioned smaller SUV, but could encompass more stately models closer to the EXP 15 as Bentley builds out the lineup. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
