Bentley has officially opened its cutting-edge design studio in Crewe with the reveal of the EXP 15, a full-scale concept car that signals where the brand is headed. While not destined for production, this striking concept lays out Bentley’s blueprint for the next era of luxury grand touring. Rooted in tradition yet confidently futuristic, the EXP 15 blends elegance with electric innovation.
Inspired by the legendary 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman Coupe, known for the infamous “Blue Train” race, the EXP 15 channels Bentley’s racing past into a vision for tomorrow. However, it’s more than just nostalgia; it’s a design manifesto for Bentley’s electric future.
Exterior: A Grand Tourer Redefined
The EXP 15 is over five metres long, with a sleek, elongated bonnet and a cab set far back. This silhouette harks back to the Speed Six, while bold surfacing, active aerodynamics and tech-infused lighting ensure it looks every bit the 21st-century flagship.
Key Exterior Design Principles:
- Upright Elegance: The front displays a graceful vertical line, a stance both strong and refined.
- Iconic Grille: The grille remains Bentley’s visual centrepiece, now reinterpreted with advanced lighting.
- Endless Bonnet Line: A continuous line from nose to tail speaks to power and poise.
- Resting Power: Rear haunches suggest strength without aggression, maintaining a calm but assertive presence.
- Prestigious Shield: The broad, sculpted rear integrates lighting with classic luggage-car influences.
Every line and curve serves both aesthetic and aerodynamic function. Notably, Bentley has incorporated 3D diamond-pattern lighting and active spoilers, ensuring that performance and presence go hand in hand.
Interior: Digital Luxury With a Human Touch
Step inside the EXP 15 and you enter a space where luxury meets next-generation thinking. Created using virtual reality, the cabin balances physical materials with responsive digital design.
Three Seats, Endless Possibilities
The EXP 15 uses a unique three-seat and three-door configuration. The driver enjoys a focused driving position, while passengers enter via twin rear-hinged coach doors on the opposite side. The standout seat swivels outward for graceful entry and exit. It’s about presence. Every exit is a statement.
Flexible Interior Design
Depending on mood or need, the main passenger seat can rotate into co-driver mode, slide back into a lounge position, or recline for maximum space. Bentley has cleverly included Concertina Floor Storage, perfect for stowing luggage or even a pet during the journey.
Picnic-Ready Boot
Open the rear hatch and discover two discreet seats, a soft lamp, and a concealed drinks fridge. Grand touring, Bentley-style, means arriving in comfort and entertaining in luxury.
Material Choices: Heritage Meets High Tech
Bentley remains proud of its British craft roots, and the EXP 15 showcases this at every turn. But this is no exercise in retro styling.
Traditional Meets Technical:
- Fox Brothers Wool: 100% natural, dyed in a damson ombré and paired with 3D-printed titanium
- Silk Jacquard by Gainsborough: A nod to royal elegance, woven since 1903
- Acrylic Couture Mesh: Creates glowing 3D textures under ambient light
- Liquid Metal Paint: Pallas Gold is radar- and lidar-friendly, crafted with ultra-thin aluminium pigments
Materials are both sustainable and aesthetic, chosen not only for their beauty but their functionality in an electric future.
Technology That Responds to You
Bentley’s UX vision is as ambitious as its design. The EXP 15 can shift between physical and digital modes, offering an intuitive blend that adapts to each journey.
Highlights:
- Wing Gesture Dashboard: A bold layout with tactile controls
- Digital to Physical Dash: The glass dash reveals digital displays or real veneer depending on mode
- Mechanical Marvel: A central illuminated feature that tracks charge, direction, or simply catches the eye
- Mood-Based Adaptability: Displays and controls shift based on the driver’s focus or relaxation mode
It’s designed to feel effortless, luxurious, and deeply personal.
Inspiration: Racing History and Royal Craft
Robin Page, Bentley’s Director of Design, makes it clear: EXP 15 is not just an internal design exercise. It’s a market test, a conversation starter. From coupe to SUV, the design studio is exploring where Bentley customers are heading.
The EXP 15 uses cues from the Blue Train era but reimagines them boldly. From the flowing bonnet to coach doors, it combines old-world charm with new-world tech. It honours Woolf Barnato and Gurney Nutting while addressing electric mobility and sustainability.
Lighting and Aero: Style Meets Function
EXP 15 features some of Bentley’s most advanced lighting and aero design to date.
- Front Lighting: Four slim LED strips echo the grille shape and extend the car’s visual width
- Side Vents: Sculpted into the body, they channel air and add character
- Rear Lights: Diamond-patterned with 3D effect and aerodynamic function
- Active Spoilers: Twin roofline elements and a rear diffuser optimise stability
Form and function align, reinforcing Bentley’s commitment to purposeful design.
Driving Into the Electric Era
While no specs have been confirmed, the EXP 15 is envisioned as a fully electric grand tourer. All-wheel drive, long range, and rapid charging will all be part of the mix.
Bentley’s electric future is about effortless performance, not silent compromise. The EXP 15 sets the tone. It shows what a luxury EV should feel like: connected, calm, and compelling.
Interior Themes: Four Visions of the Future
Inside, Bentley has created four mood-based themes. Each blends old and new materials, with illumination playing a big role.
Expect a glowing dash, translucent panels, and refined textiles. From backlit quilted doors to active 3D surfaces, it’s a world where craft and tech merge seamlessly.
Why EXP 15 Matters
The EXP 15 concept is more than a showpiece. It marks Bentley’s intention to lead the next chapter of electric luxury grand touring.
By blending classic British craftsmanship with modern digital tools, it sets a course for the brand’s future models. It hints at how future Bentleys will look, feel, and behave.
It doesn’t chase trends, It defines them.
Conclusion: Will You Embrace the Future of Grand Touring?
The EXP 15 shows that Bentley isn’t just preserving heritage; it’s building upon it. From sustainable materials to digital elegance, the concept represents what the future of grand touring could be.
What do you think? Would you choose digital craftsmanship or classic detailing?
Which features would you love to see in a production Bentley?
Let us know in the comments below.
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