Bentley Finally Takes Inspiration From The Blue Train With Radical Exp 15 Concept Debuting New Design Language

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For years and years I person been wanting Bentley to make a car pinch styling inspired by nan 1930 Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman Coupe, amended known arsenic the Blue Train. It was named aft a title from Cannes to Calais that saw automobiles compete against nan Le Train Bleu luxury train, which Bentley president and Le Mans victor Woolf Barnato won successful 1930 successful a four-door Speed Six. He subsequently commissioned nan Gurney Nutting coupe, which had a fantastically agelong hood and debased fastback roofline that looked for illustration thing other connected nan road, and for illustration nary Bentley that came aft it.

Now Bentley has gone and made my wishes travel existent pinch a caller electrical conception car called nan EXP 15 that was created by nan brand's recently opened creation workplace astatine its headquarters, pinch nan Blue Train serving arsenic stimulation for nan creation team's creativity. Though its roofline and floor plan are Blue Train–esque, nan EXP 15 is not astatine each retro, looking wholly modern and wholly extremist compared to Bentleys of nan past nevertheless galore decades. Bentley says that while nan EXP 15 doesn't straight preview a caller model, it's a look into early styling themes and ideas, including immoderate that will beryllium recovered connected the compact electrical SUV that Bentley will uncover adjacent year.

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Bentley says location are 5 exterior creation principles for its early models: Upright Elegance, wherever nan beforehand has a mildly curved vertical statement "akin to nan precocious assemblage of a thoroughbred horse;" Iconic Grille, which is self-explanatory; Endless Bonnet Line, an unbroken statement moving from nan chemoreceptor nether nan broadside windows each nan measurement backmost to nan rear pillar; Resting Beast, nan measurement nan muscular rear haunches are akin to a large feline fresh to pounce, and nan wide relaxed stance; and Prestigious Shield, a large, cleanable aboveground astatine nan rear extremity inspired by nan luggage conception of the Blue Train.

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Director of design Robin Page says nan EXP 15 isn't conscionable a preview of Bentley's next-gen creation language, but an exploration of wherever nan marketplace is going successful position of assemblage style. "It's clear that SUVs are a increasing conception and we understand nan GT market, but nan trickiest conception is nan sedan because it's changing. Some customers want a classical three-box sedan shape, others a one-box design, and others again thing much elevated. So this was a chance for america to talk to group and get a feeling." The EXP 15's fastback look and raised stance is decidedly caller for Bentley, and nan benignant of genre-bending crossover that is proving to beryllium progressively popular.

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The centerpiece of nan EXP 15's beforehand extremity is its grille, which isn't an existent grille. The shape is made up of repeating three-dimensional illuminated arrows that create a diamond-like effect connected nan assemblage colour panel, which itself sits successful beforehand of a metallic sheet wherever those crystal lights are really found. The full grille is framed by a ray strip, and there's an illuminated halfway bar. We've already seen nan caller Winged B logo that will beryllium recovered connected each caller Bentleys, but nan EXP 15 besides features a caller mentation of nan deployable hood ornament, which connected nan caller conception looks much dynamic. "Now pinch ray exertion changing we person an opportunity to create a portion of integer art," says Page, "so nan grille stays arsenic our iconic front."

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Framing nan grille are nan very un-Bentley headlights. These bladed LED strips are somewhat kicked downward astatine nan bottom, and nan segmented creation takes aft nan internals of 1930's lights. The hood has a salient powerfulness dome design, and location are 2 abstracted panels that unfastened to uncover retention space, successful nan aforesaid measurement nan Speed Six's divided hood was hinged. 

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Functional vents down nan beforehand instrumentality arches transmission airflow and location much lights. Instead of having SUV-like assemblage cladding aliases tacked connected fender flares, nan instrumentality arches person subtle lines framing them, appearing to adhd width without really doing so. There is immoderate angular achromatic trim on nan little body, but it's not excessively fussy. The surfacing on nan sides is really lovely, particularly astatine nan rear haunch that surely looks very Bentley, and I conscionable adore nan roofline. It's not really a coupe, not really a hatchback, a spot much aggravated than different fastbacks. Would you telephone it a shooting brake? I might.

Bentley doesn't opportunity really ample nan EXP 15's wheels are, but they don't look overly huge, filling nan instrumentality arches well. Despite nan EXP 15 being a crossover, I admit really reasonably debased to nan crushed it still is, and really small instrumentality spread and suspension tallness location is. The beforehand overhang is reasonably short and nan dash-to-axle ratio is beautiful good, and nan EXP 15's wide proportions are plentifulness dramatic. We don't person afloat dimensions aliases specs, but Bentley says nan EXP 15 is complete 16 feet long, truthful it's a spot shorter than a Bentayga aliases Flying Spur.

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The rear extremity is astir apt nan slightest Bentley-like constituent of nan design. That trapezoidal "shield" sheet is surrounded by LED taillights that protrude from nan bodywork to summation aerodynamics, pinch a subtle gem shape that reflects onto nan body. There's a brace of progressive spoilers beryllium astatine nan apical of nan roof, and nan diffusers has progressive elements arsenic well.

Bentley painted nan EXP 15 successful a caller satin overgarment called Pallas Gold, which has aureate achromatic highlights and takes inspiration from nan nickel trim parts of nan Speed Six. Its ultra-thin aluminum pigment allows nan overgarment to beryllium utilized complete information devices for illustration radar sensors, which tin still transmit done nan overgarment without losing awesome quality. That's a beautiful large breakthrough, arsenic fundamentally each caller cars' sensors person to beryllium prominently placed and not covered by anything, typically recovered achromatic panels that tin break up a car's design. Bentley says nan paint's highly reflective coating besides makes it easier to observe by different cars' Lidar sensors.

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Also untraditional is nan EXP 15's doorway and spot layout. The driver's broadside of nan car is nan correct side, wherever there's only 1 normal doorway for entree to nan driver's seat. On nan near broadside of nan car is simply a brace of doors, pinch nan rear doorway being a rear-hinged coach door, and a conception of nan solid tile opens for easier access. The divided hatchback opens to uncover a ample cargo area that features deployable seats, a fridge and abstraction to put your champagne, and moreover an creation deco–style lamp.

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As pinch nan original Blue Train, nan EXP 15 is simply a three-seater. The driver's spot is nan only fixed beforehand seat, while location are 2 abstracted bucket seats successful nan rear. The passenger-side spot tin beryllium moved to different positions: adjacent to nan driver, slid each nan measurement back, aliases reclined successful a "relax" mode. When that spot is slid back, nan Concertina Floor Storage strategy lets nan footwell footrests fold into nan level to create much luggage space, aliases a dedicated abstraction for a fancy canine furniture to beryllium strapped in. The rider spot tin besides swivel outward by 45 degrees for easier ingress and egress.

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The dashboard retains nan "wing gesture" style that Bentley has utilized for years now, but location are each sorts of caller flourishes and details. Bentley says nan EXP 15's interior uses a "Magical Fusion" principle, wherever there's tons of futuristic exertion that is melded seamlessly pinch beingness elements. The ample halfway surface and passenger-side surface tin beryllium switched disconnected to uncover a wood veneer panel, and down nan halfway surface is simply a clock-like instrumentality that Bentley calls nan "Mechanical Marvel." Made up of a bunch of illuminated fingers, this point tin bespeak things for illustration authorities of complaint aliases direction, aliases conscionable beryllium "a delightful centerpiece to regard upon." The steering instrumentality has a caller creation for its ray power and cogwheel selector stalks, and moreover nan model switches person knurled finishes.

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Says Page, "We deliberation group are going to get fed up pinch a afloat integer acquisition and are pining for beingness mechanical elements too. By combining nan two, you tin get nan champion of some worlds. It's almost for illustration wearing a beautiful mechanical watch connected 1 wrist and a integer watch connected nan other. Imagine nan magical acquisition you would get if mechanical and integer are overlayed together."

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The rear seats are surrounded by cocooning panels that springiness privacy, and rear passengers get their ain surface and group of knobs and controls, pinch a 2nd 1 of those watch-like marvels group into nan halfway console. Some of nan elements, for illustration nan lamp and fridge, tin descent from nan rider compartment backmost into nan cargo area for nan tailgating setup.

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A good silk jacquard textile was created by 1 of nan UK's oldest mills, and location is simply a wool textile pinch an ombre effect. 3D-printed titanium elements trim weight and accumulation waste, and a good woven metallic mesh housed successful acrylic called "Acrylic Couture" creates twinkling 3D effects successful nan dashboard. The grille's ray shape is echoed connected nan doorway panels and nan situation of nan rear seats, created by cutting nan gem shape retired of nan veneer, covering it pinch nan silk aliases mesh and lighting it up, a method Bentley calls nan "active 3D quilt." The operation of materials and illuminated elements successful nan EXP 15 looks really wonderful, and nary of it seems that far-fetched.

Bentley

Regarding nan EXP 15's powertrain, Bentley conscionable says that it is afloat electrical and all-wheel drive, pinch "a agelong scope and recharging speeds commensurate pinch nan convenience customers person travel to expect of a Bentley." We cognize nan upcoming accumulation exemplary will beryllium based connected nan aforesaid PPE level arsenic nan Porsche Macan EV and Audi Q6 E-Tron, but a accumulation balanced to nan EXP 15 would apt thrust connected a larger, much precocious architecture — possibly nan SSP level that Volkswagen is still cooking up.

Though nan institution again reiterates that nan EXP 15 isn't a nonstop preview of adjacent year's production EV, it says "subtle creation cues relating to that first car are highlighted wrong nan concept's exterior form, arsenic good arsenic showcasing integer and method ideas connected nan interior that could go a reality successful nan longer-term." It remains to beryllium seen really overmuch of nan EXP 15's creation connection will really make its measurement into early accumulation models, and whether we'll ever spot a accumulation Bentley pinch a akin silhouette, but I'm conscionable gladsome my Blue Train dreams yet came true, moreover if only connected a concept.

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