Bentley Will Probably Build a Production EXP 10 Speed 6



Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer took some time out during the  launch to drop a few hints about his brand's future. Besides basically confirming rumors that there will be a high-performance Bentayga derivative, Dürheimer also indicated that  may soon become a reality.

This isn't the first time Dürheimer has spoken of the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept in a production context. In  at the Geneva auto show, the Bentley CEO told us that if built, the Speed 6 would either borrow the next-generation Porsche Panamera's MSB architecture in its entirety or pluck "modules" from it, and that the two-seater would feature a front-mid-engine layout. At the Bentayga launch, Dürheimer began his remarks by saying that "the story of Bentley Motors doesn't stop with Bentayga." The CEO then went on to outline "two new models that would fit perfectly into the Bentley portfolio," the first of which being the aforementioned hi-po Bentayga, while the other is the EXP 10 Speed 6.

According to Dürheimer, Bentley saw strong customer response to the Speed 6 concept, and said, "We want to build on this and make it a reality." The automaker is looking into alternative powertrains for the production model, including a full EV. More likely is a plug-in hybrid setup, but any engine beneath the 6's sultry hood will have eight or fewer cylinders. Wrapping up his remarks, the CEO was more coy: "I cannot stand here and confirm a date for production; we are not at that stage yet." He also mentioned that a "comprehensive refresh" of Bentley's current models—the Continental and Mulsanne—is in order, which suggests that a Speed 6 might not happen until after those cars are updated. We'll be waiting, patiently, Mr. Dürheimer.

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