The glorious Bentley Flying Star Shooting Brake
In addition to a three door coupe and crossover Bentley are reported to be working on a Porsche Panamera rivalling Super-Hatch
The Germans like a niche. The British expect to stick to what works. Somewhere in between there’s a balance, and Bentley are a company trying to strike it. Despite reservations within the company – and pre-VW cars being referred to as ‘The Real Cars’ – what VW has done to Bentley is to bring it back to life.
But that new life has been at a cost. The Continental range – impressive though it is – is really just the old Audi A8 in fancy clothes. Admittedly the new Bentley Mulsanne is all new – and with a bespoke chassis – but if you believe VW are going to waste all that development cost on a chassis just for the Mulsanne you’re a more believing soul than I. At the very least Bugatti will get a crack at it, and it could go much further.
And now it looks like there’s plans afoot to spread the Bentley marque a little thinner. We reported back in November that Bentley appeared to be working on a Bentley Crossover and a Bentley Hatchback. Now it seems they have their eye on a piece of the Panamera market with a five door super-hatch, according to an Autocar source (Panamera underpinnings for this range of crossover and hatch, anyone?).
Which isn’t going to go down all that well with the tradititionalist, but put a big smile on the face of a Porsche fan who can’t quite live with the Panamera’s looks. And let’s face it, if Bentley go this route the Bentley Super Hatch will inevitabvly be based on the Panamera chassis. VW has already made it clear Porsche has to share, and this is one obvious share.
Despite ‘sources’ this is pretty much speculation. But it makes a fair bit of sense.
Sadly, says this Bentley traditionalist.
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