Bentley has revealed that it is still keen on introducing an all-new sports car, not long after announcing that its SUV family would soon expand.
For over a year, the British firm was believed to be deciding between launching a small SUV to slot below the Bentayga or instead launching a new sports car. Now it appears that both could see the light of day.
Speaking with Australian publication Motoring recently, the head of Bentley Mulliner Uday Senapati revealed that there is a market for a Bentley sports car and that it would be a guaranteed success.
“We’re testing the market all the time. On similar lines, when we floated the idea of a two-seater sports car, that’s been received extremely well. And for once people haven’t said ‘this is not the right product for Bentley’ so it’s a guaranteed success,” he said.
In 2015, the company revealed its stunning EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept at the Geneva Motor Show and immediately sparked hope of a new sports car. This year, it launched a convertible and electric variant of that car, dubbed the EXP 12 Speed 6e.
According to Senapati, Bentley already has a business case for the car but says its position within the Volkswagen Group means it can’t step on the toes of the conglomerate’s existing sports cars.
“The car itself we like, and we’ve got a business case. We’ve done a lot of development work. From within Bentley, definitely yes [there’s momentum]. But we’re part of a big group and it has to work with the rest of the group … Because we are a portfolio of brands, we can’t be overtly competing against each other,” he said, before later revealing that Bentley needs to create a niche segment for its sports car to be given the green light to build it.
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