Bentley EXP 15 Concept Reveals Future Luxury Design
Bentley Motors has unveiled the Bentley EXP 15 concept in its brand-new Crewe design studio, marking the opening of the facility with a bold declaration of future luxury. The five-metre-plus Grand Tourer draws on the spirit of early-twentieth-century Bentleys yet speaks the fluent language of 2025 design. It presents an upright grille, an endless bonnet, and a rear-set cabin that evokes the 1930 coupé, the Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman, celebrated as the “Blue Train” after chairman Woolf Barnato outran Le Train Bleu from Cannes to London. Ahead-looking surfacing, high-tech lighting and active aerodynamics anchor the Bentley EXP 15 concept firmly in the present, while subtle cues preview the marque’s forthcoming fully electric flagship. “The beauty of a concept car is not just to position our new design language, but to test where the market’s going. It’s clear that SUVs are a growing segment, and we understand the GT market, having evolved through four generations of the Continental GT. However, the trickiest segment is the sedan, as it’s constantly evolving. 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.”
Page’s team shaped the body around five principles—Upright Elegance, Iconic Grille, Endless Bonnet Line, Resting Beast stance and Prestigious Shield rear—then carved it for Monolithic Presence, Muscular Form and Carved Precision. “Grilles used to be all about getting air to the combustion engine through the front of the car. However, with the advancement of light technology, we now have the opportunity to create digital art. So the grille stays as our iconic front.” Four ultra-slim headlight strips frame the diamond-pattern light grille, a central spine descends beneath the Winged B, and chunky flank vents manage flow. Twin roof spoilers and an active diffuser expand aerodynamic reach, while liquid-metal Pallas Gold paint employs ultra-thin aluminium pigment that leaves radar and lidar unobstructed. “All the finest Bentleys feature rear haunches that bulge outward from the body of the car above the rear wheels, expressing their ‘muscle’ and potent energy, just like the rounded shape of the bent upper legs of a big cat,” explains Domen Rucigaj, Head of Exterior Design. “But a Bentley’s overall stance needs to be relaxed and horizontal, not aggressively leaning forward (nor leaning back and looking ‘lazy’). I am also focused on perfect Bentley proportions, which are divided, from top to bottom, into one-third for the cabin and two-thirds for the body.”
Virtual-reality modelling enabled numerous cabin configurations to be explored before the physical build. “Bentley’s then chairman, Woolf Barnato, had a Speed Six four-door Weymann fabric saloon by H J Mulliner, which he used to race the Blue Train in 1930. Meanwhile, a unique one-of-a-kind Speed Six coupé was being built, with a body by Gurney Nutting. Even though the coupé wasn’t finished when the race took place, it’s that car that’s become associated with it and has since become an iconic Bentley. What we were influenced by is the idea of a three-seat car with a unique window line and super slick proportions used for grand tours.” The resulting three-seat, three-door layout places the driver opposite a rear comfort seat, granting the passenger a swivelling chair revealed by twin coach doors and a rising roof panel. “The seat can rotate and you step out, totally unflustered, not trying to clamber out of the car like you see with some supercars,” continued Day. “You just get out with dignity, and the Instagram shot is perfect. If you look at the car we built for Her Majesty the Queen, it was always designed around the aperture of the door and ‘the art of arrival’. It was essential for us to create that feeling here, too.” Concertina Floor Storage folds footrests down to secure pets or hand luggage, while the boot hatch presents pop-up picnic seats, an ambient lamp and a chilled drinks cabinet.
The interior follows five principles. The Wing Gesture dashboard exudes bold gravitas through a sweeping veneer. The passenger enjoys an open iconic design and iconic details, such as knurled switchgear, in the lineup beside Magic Here, a full-width display darkens to reveal timber, and a central ‘Mechanical Marvel’ timepiece merges analogue beauty and digital information. “We think people are going to get fed up with a fully digital experience and are pining for physical mechanical elements too. 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. Imagine the magical experience you would get if mechanical and digital were overlaid together.” Craftspeople combined tradition and technology. Fox Brothers’ thorn-proof wool appears in a damson ombré, while Gainsborough silk jacquard promotes well-being. Acrylic Couture's woven metal mesh glows under acrylic, and lightweight 3D-printed titanium trims cut mass and waste. “When you cut a diamond pattern out of the veneer and put jacquard silk or a hybrid mesh against it and light it up, you can create what we’re calling an active 3D quilt.”
Engineers envision an all-wheel-drive, long-range electric powertrain that delivers effortless Bentley performance and rapid charging, though they have yet to share specifications. EXP 15, therefore, stands not as a retro homage or pre-production teaser, but as a vivid manifesto for Bentley's design, sustainability, and electric grand touring.
