- Fully autonomous but can be driven if desired
- Sustainable with eco-friendly interior materials
- Zero-emission powertrain with a 435-mile range
- Up to 80-percent charging capacity in 15 minutes
- Equipped with advanced artificial intelligence systems
- Could go on sale in 2035
On its 100th birthday Bentley Motors marked the event with the debut of the Bentley EXP 100 GT. This electric concept boasts a zero emissions powertrain and a 0-60 time of a mind-blowing 2.5 seconds; a Bentley for the future.
Redefining the GT
With seating options for two, three, or four passengers, the EXP 100 GT is designed to change the grand touring experience. Bentley expects this concept car to become reality in 2035, and one can only imagine how far Artificial Intelligence will evolve by then. As it’s envisioned, the EXP 100 GT can read the emotions of the driver. Still embodying the British marques love affair with the rush of freedom, this fully autonomous car can also be driven if the mood strikes you.
New design language
Impressive in stature, the Bentley EXP 100 GT stands 19-feet long and strikes a commanding and imposing stance. With doors that are six and a half feet wide and open out and up, you’ll need a 2-story garage in which to open it, there is nothing diminutive about this car.
Muscular and elegant at the same time, made of aluminum and carbon fiber, with copper accents behind the C-pillar, the Bentley EXP 100 GT is a showstopper. Although it didn’t roll out under its own power, once unveiled, it made a huge impression. Bentley’s DNA remains all over the EXP 100 GT from hints of the R-Type Continental rear and round Blower Bentley-inspired headlamps, the marque’s history feels ever present. The grille is less-than-subtle with its glowing crystals pulsing like a Vegas night club, but this isn’t the autonomous car for the timid. The EXP 100 GT goes big. If you don’t too, go home.
Ostentatious with a purpose
Lest you believe this car is the epitome of excess and opulence, the EXP 100 GT takes a surprisingly environmentally conscious turn. Pigment used in the Compass exterior paint derives from rice husk ash, a harmful bi-product of the rice industry and its use here reduces landfill waste. Sustainable textiles including leather-like materials resulting from the wine-making compliments the interior and the wood veneers come from naturally-felled trees.
What else makes the EXP 100 GT special?
Fiber optic light surrounds cabin occupants, enhancing wellness according to Bentley. Or maybe it’s just that massive crystal that could be part of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude that lives in the center console that keeps everyone super Zen. This piece of cut-glass acts as the heart of the Bentley Personal Assistant. It responds to passenger biometrics and does things such as adjusting seats when it feels you’re in need of more support.
The AI system has moods like Enhance, Cocoon, Capture, which records the sounds and even smells from outside the car and the Re-Live mood that remembers them and plays them back for you. This is assuming, of course, you’re driving through a pine forest and not near a dump in Queens. But it also has an advanced air purification system that can address that problem for you should it arise.
Will it be as powerful as current Bentleys?
The EXP 100 GT’s powertrain promises to be as powerful and exciting as a Bentley is expected to be, with a traction drive torque vectoring system for improved cornering performance, active aero wheels, intelligent tires that adjust to road conditions, and a 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds. That this monolithic vehicle can travel that fast seems nothing short of miraculous. Bentley expects battery range to top out around 435 miles and with the ability to be recharged to 80-percent in 15 minutes. Charging is automatically taken care of by the Bentley Personal Assistant, which is a system, and not a person who comes to your house.
That Bentley chooses to celebrate their birthday in such a way deserves a round of applause. The bold, futuristic statement is rooted in founder W.O. Bentley’s mantra going back to 1919 where he set out to build fast cars that are best in class. The EXP 100 GT is poised to assume that mantle mission well into the marque’s next century. At the very least when this majestic beast speeds by it should help blow out all those candles on their cake.
