Geneva 2012 AWD All-Star: Bentley EXP 9 F Sport Utility Vehicle Concept
Love it or hate it, this British/Teutonic SUV is stealing the spotlight in Switzerland. By Nicholas MizeraThis Bentley EXP 9 F Sport Utility Vehicle concept wears a reinterpretation of Bentley design cues we’ve seen on the bespoke Mulsanne. It’s meant to be “a vehicle that feels equally at home at an opera gala performance, on the sand dunes and the overtaking lane of the autobahn.”
Power here comes from a 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine and an eight-speed transmission. Horsepower would be in a heady area of 600 ponies.
The luxury touches? There’s many. 23-inch alloy wheels, soft-touch leather contrasted with saddle leather for harder-wearing areas; a full-width, one-piece wood veneer dashboard with bronze trim and even reversible floormats—one side silk wool, the other finished ribbed saddle leather for “use when the driver and passengers are dressed for the great outdoors.”
Bentley says customer and public reaction will be followed in Geneva to see whether there’s enough interest to move the EXP 9 F from fantasy to production. Stay tuned.
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