Bentley - Geneva

Ruded up Conti only half the story as Bentley unveils EXP10 Speed 6 concept

The carefully orchestrated VW Group Night threw up the first of Geneva's proper surprises ahead of the main press day with the unveiling of a new Bentley concept called the EXP10 Speed 6. Rolls off the tongue, right?

Shown immediately after the updated Continental GT (that one we did know about!), the EXP10 Speed 6 is a pure concept intended, we were told, "to show where we are heading" in a post-Continental world. Oh, and once that Bentayga SUV has been dealt with too. For all the fuss that car has had it got merely a passing mention, the business to be attended to before getting back to the fun stuff of making 'proper' Bentleys.

Updated Continental GT Speed plays it straight

The name might be a mouthful but is logical enough, 'EXP' denoting an experimental car and Speed 6 an iconic Bentley badge from back in the day, typically applied to more sporting two-seaters. Promising a "more emotional" design language the Speed 6 is definitely a sleeker and more overtly sporting proposition than the bluff Continental. The bonnet line in particular is a lot sleeker and the overall proportions are more Aston Vanquish chaser than Rolls-Royce Wraith rival. Is that a hint of F-Type in the C-pillar there too? Just possibly...

There's no talk of what might power the car, Bentley boss Wolfgang Durheimer simply saying "performance goals including top speed are set to challenge competitors and define a new segment benchmark." When the revised Continental boasts of efficiency gains that cut CO2 to 'just' 333g/km it's safe to assume this isn't a shallow boast and a suitably overbearing powerplant will be in place.

Given that it's all about the design there are some interesting quirks in this show car, combining Bentley's more traditional materials with modern manufacturing techniques. So the grille and other metal parts have been 3D printed while the quilting in the doors is actually machined out of cherry wood and capped with copper trim. Lavish, luxurious and distinctive if this really is the future look of Bentley the boys from Crewe have much to be cheerful about.

Once they've sold a ton of those Bentaygas, obviously.