Bentley EXP 15 Concept Premieres at Pebble Beach Concours
Bentley Motors unveiled EXP 15, its newest design vision, at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The imposing and innovative grand tourer previews future Bentley design, including the brand’s keenly anticipated first fully electric car. Bentley does not plan to put this concept into production, yet it clearly signals how the next generation of electric Bentley grand tourers will take shape.
EXP 15 blends an iconic upright grille, a long, endless bonnet and a rearward cabin that echoes the 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman coupé, often known as the “Blue Train”. Like that icon from 95 years ago, EXP 15 features three seats to deliver greater luxury in transit, with innovative in-cabin storage for treasured pets or hand luggage.
The concept embodies five exterior design principles that will guide Bentley’s future production cars. Upright Elegance shapes the profile of the front wing. Iconic Grille reinterprets the famed Bentley grille for the new electric era. Endless Bonnet Line reflects the heritage of the marque’s seminal designs. Resting Beast conveys a visual language of lean muscularity. Prestigious Shield defines the rear panel that frames the reimagined Winged B emblem. Together, these principles set the form and function of luxurious, sustainable grand tourers that only Bentley could create.
Director of Design, Robin Page, comments: “The visitors at Monterey Car Week include some of the most discerning collectors, enthusiasts and aficionados in the world, many of whom already own Bentleys. EXP 15 is a strong statement of intent, and it was outstanding to see the concept resplendent in the California sunshine. Feedback received from the audience at Pebble Beach will be used to inform the brand’s design evolution, as we continue the journey to design and develop the next generation of electrified Bentley grand tourers.”
During Monterey Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula, the team captured beautiful coastal photography along 17 Mile Drive, the famous stretch of road synonymous with the event. With the kind permission of its owner, Bentley reunited the original 1930 Speed Six Gurney Nutting ‘Blue Train’ special with EXP 15, both having travelled from Bentley’s Dream Factory in Crewe, where EXP 15 was unveiled in early July.
EXP 15 now returns to Crewe, where it will continue to shape the design DNA of Bentley’s future, now in development at the newly opened, three-storey Design Studio at the heart of the Bentley campus.
