The EXP 100 GT is Bentley’s car of the future
Bentley unveiled its car of the future at its Crewe headquarters today as it continues its centenary celebrations. The extraordinary concept, named the EXP 100 GT, is of course fully autonomous, although the driver can take control at any time should he or she wish to drive.
Four electric motors send the two-door GT to 62mph in under 2.5 seconds, and Bentley says lighter, more energy-dense batteries will enable an 80 per cent charge in just 15 minutes, while providing a range of 435 miles. The entire car weighs 1,900kg, which is considerably lighter than any of the current luxury electric cars on sale.
All the above however, is in many ways secondary to the materials used in the car, and the level of connectivity Bentley is predicting: the eco and tech credentials of cars in the next 10 years will define their sales success.
The exterior silver paint, named Compass, has a pigment contrived from rice husk ash: the husks apparently are a harmful by-product of the rice industry which otherwise go to landfill. The grill and light surrounds are made from illuminated glass which lights up and softly glows and pulses as the car’s owner approaches.
Lift one of the two huge 2m-long gullwing doors and the two-seat interior boasts a range of new materials, all of which are sustainably sourced and showcase a new face of luxury. For example, the warm wood that frames the thin, curved seats is 5,000-year old riverwood that has naturally fallen and been reclaimed from peat bogs by the Fenland Black Oak Project, a British organisation set up to preserve the wood. Bentley has infused it with copper to create a metallic lustre.
The seats are covered in what first appears to be leather, but is in fact an organic textile made with a bi-product of the wine-making industry. The carpets are British farmed wool and there is embroidered cotton that blends with other materials on the door surfaces and is carefully stitched by Hand and Lock, a British company that embroiders royal and military dress uniforms.
The EXP 100 GT naturally makes full use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), as far as Bentley can predict. The luxury face of AI is the Bentley Personal Assistant, which will point out places of interest en route, suggest journeys or give information on nearby luxury experiences. AI is controlled by a big illuminated crystal surface – sourced, cut and hand blown in Cumbria. It works alongside a biometric analysing system which adjusts the climate, the seats and more according to your mood, which it senses through the occupant’s gesture and touch. The system can create five different moods within the car: enhance, cocoon, capture, re-live and customise. For example, cocoon creates a protective space, including air purification and glass areas that turn opaque for privacy.
Beyond this car, Bentley sees the future involving an electric powertrain supplemented by a fuel-cell range extender.