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Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 gets positive reactions on auto show circuit

Bentley is in the midst of a world tour with its EXP 10 Speed 6 concept. Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last month, the concept subsequently appeared in New York and now in Shanghai, and will stop in the Middle East on its way back home to England. The purpose: to gauge reactions from potential customers. And so far it's reportedly been pretty good. Speaking with Autocar in Shanghai this week, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer said most of the potential buyers who spoke to the company after seeing the concept have encouraged Crewe to build it. The only adjustments it's been asked to make were to the front end. Those LED ring headlights look interesting, but would be unlikely to make production. And the grille would likely be more swept back than upright. The process is similar to how Bentley is evolving the EXP 9 F crossover concept into the production Bentayga. The company is listening to customers about what they like and don't like, and adjusting accordingly. Of course none of that means that the EXP 10 Speed 6 will actually see production. It would still need the green light from parent company Volkswagen, which has been cutting back on development spending lately. And with the Bentayga yet to reach showrooms, Bentley has its hands full at the moment. But the segment in which this luxury GT would compete – against the likes of Aston Martin and Maserati – is not one where the VW group really participates at the moment. Neither Lamborghini, Audi nor Porsche have a front-engined sports car in this segment, with only Bentley's own Continental GT coming close. The potential to take a slice of a different pie could prove enough to convince the powers in Wolfsburg to sign off on the EXP 10 Speed 6, especially if it can be based on an existing architecture and shared with other divisions. Related Video:

Bentley designing SUV to reach 200 mph?

The 200 MPH Club was once populated entirely by exotic sports cars. These days it has expanded to include convertibles, sedans and even station wagons. But an SUV? Unthinkable, what with their aerodynamic profile approaching that of a barn door. Bentley, however, is out to change that with its forthcoming new sport ute.
Not only is the British automaker aiming to make its first SUV fully capable off road, it's also engineering it to be one of the fastest on the road as well. According to emerging reports coming in from the UK, Bentley is streamlining the SUV's shape with a lower roofline and reprofiled rear end and fitting it with advanced underbody aerodynamic aids in order to compensate for its over-six-foot width and get it up to the magic 200-mph mark.
Reaching out to Bentley for comment, its communications office wouldn't divulge such performance targets: "The SUV is in the engineering development stage, so unfortunately it's too soon to discuss performance figures," we were told via email. "It will of course have all the power and performance that one would expect from a Bentley!" If the information proves correct, however, at that speed, it would be able to keep pace with the faster members of the Continental family, but leave the Mulsanne flagship sedan (which is already approaching the size of an SUV) and its 185-mph top speed in the dust - not to mention the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S that is quoted at "only" 175 mph.

Lamborghini and Bentley may hold off on SUVs so VW can conserve cash

After surveying the European economic scene, Volkswagen may have decided now is not the time to launch utility vehicles with Bentley and Lamborghini badges. Bentley officials say they will continue to push for support for the EXP 9 F and Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelman has said planning for the Urus will continue until VW tells it to stop.
That decision could come on November 23, when VW's board will vote on the company's budget for equipment, factories and vehicles. With VW's sales slowing and the Euro economy slumping further, some industry watchers say the company is more likely to build its cash reserves than to introduce super-expensive luxury SUVs or crossovers.
"Such vehicles are anything but obligatory during a crisis," says Frankfurt-based Equinet AG analyst Tim Schuldt in a new Automotive News Europe story. "Delaying their launch would be no drama but help save costs."