RE: Geneva 2012: Bentley EXP 9 F

RE: Geneva 2012: Bentley EXP 9 F

Tuesday 6th March 2012

Geneva 2012: Bentley EXP 9 F

Long-awaited Bentley SUV finally emerges, most Geneva showgoers wish it hadn't



We knew Bentley was making an SUV. But even in our wildest dreams (nightmares, possibly) we couldn't have expected it to look like this. Maybe it was the initial reaction at the VW preview night or maybe Bentley is simply hedging its bets but this is still officially a toe in the water and some way off production. So you have to hope someone, literally, goes back to the drawing board. Or perhaps dusts it off and introduces it to the development process for the first time.

If you can divide Bentleys into new money and old money there's little doubt which side this one sits on, 'traditional' saddle leather interior or no. And it's no secret which parts of the world the EXP 9 F is pointing its mesh-grilled snout at.

'Understated British design' apparently
'Understated British design' apparently
Probably best we look at what's behind it rather than dwell on the styling. And here we find, as you'd probably expect, Bentley's 6.0-litre W12 with an as-yet undisclosed power output in the 600hp region. Which is probably a minimum, given the bulk of the thing. More bet hedging comes with the promise that hybrid drivetrains and/or Bentley's new V8 could also feature.

You'd expect a bit of opulence inside of course, Bentley taking things a step towards decadence with reversible floormats that use carpet on one side and saddle leather on the other, depending on whether you're pounding city streets or hanging in what it describes as the great outdoors. If you're doing the latter there's a hat-tip to Range Rover with a drop-down tailgate that doubles as a bench or picnic table as required.

"Customer and public reaction will be analysed following the unveiling of EXP 9 F," says Bentley. This with "the aim of refining the concept further."

So let 'em have it.



   

 

Author
Discussion

syd666

Original Poster:

16 posts

189 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Makes the Porsche look good.

DeltaEvo2

868 posts

191 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
That is ghastly!

I never thought someone could design such a ludicrous car...hurl

Truly horrific!

PompeyM3

1,847 posts

204 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Soon to be seen at a football clubs training ground near you wink

Nitro666

23 posts

145 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Jesus wept, just what the world needs right now...

Denorth

559 posts

170 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
there is something interesting in the interior, but apart from that shoothurl

Dargie

637 posts

181 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Coming soon to a football player near you!

MCBrowncoat

864 posts

145 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
vomit That's just what I didn't need to see this morning.

MCBrowncoat

864 posts

145 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
vomit That's just what I didn't need to see this morning.

Mr Adds

264 posts

148 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Whats going on with the headlights and the rear wheel arches....

Codswallop

5,250 posts

193 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
I take it that anti-discrimination laws have necessitated blind car designers to be hired now. Truly ghastly thing.

Addymk2

334 posts

171 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Snoop dog and 50 cent are going to love this bling beast. In retrospective thats a joke. If anyone from bentley reads this that car is utterly revolting. Not even the previously mentioned will want one. I can't actually believe how st that looks. What were Bentley thinking!?

Devil's Advocate

159 posts

220 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
I believe it could well have usurped the 1990's Ford Scorpio described by Jonathon Ross as "the most hideously brutish carbuncle in the history of car design" (or should that be "bwutish"?!). To be fair, the Scorpio was a production car and this is only a concept so there's still time for the Ford to retain its crown!!!

Chapppers

4,483 posts

190 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all

McAndy

12,336 posts

176 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Are they stupid? Are they actually stupid? Not only are they launching a car such us this into a economically and environmentally sensitive world, they're suggesting that it could look like this abonimation. It looks like a one year old has dragged crayons through it's soiled nappy in a fit of rage!

This and the Mulsanne make me think that Bentley should sack their design director(s?). Only the relatively tasteful V8 Conti works for me on any level at the moment. Class to trash in less than three years! Sad times frown.

sidaorb

5,589 posts

205 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Can't help but wonder what Gulzar is going to do to it wink

Codswallop

5,250 posts

193 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Devil's Advocate said:
I believe it could well have usurped the 1990's Ford Scorpio described by Jonathon Ross as "the most hideously brutish carbuncle in the history of car design" (or should that be "bwutish"?!). To be fair, the Scorpio was a production car and this is only a concept so there's still time for the Ford to retain its crown!!!
OT, but I quite like the 90's Scorpio - why does everyone else slate it's looks so much? Looked better than most of it's rivals at the time in any case.

fathomfive

9,876 posts

189 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Designed by Leepu?

CatJ

9,586 posts

242 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Absolutely dire.

JohnGoodridge

529 posts

194 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
Addymk2 said:
Snoop dog and 50 cent are going to love this bling beast. In retrospective thats a joke. If anyone from bentley reads this that car is utterly revolting. Not even the previously mentioned will want one. I can't actually believe how st that looks. What were Bentley thinking!?
Cayenne rear end; Rangie front end (in profile) and Bentley 'face' (although with lots of botox and 'surgical reconstruction').

It's wrong, so wrong. About as wrong as the Cayenne. Which I'm sure is what Bentley are hoping for.


X5TUU

11,907 posts

186 months

Tuesday 6th March 2012
quotequote all
looks like one of them Russian self-build jobs ... hideous