Bentley EXP 100 GT – a huge ELECTRIC Bentley Concept celebrates 100 years

Bentley celebrates its 100th birthday with the EXP 100 GT Concept, a look at a future electric, autonomous Bentley Grand Tourer for 2035.

What do you do to celebrate 100 years as a car makers, and a car maker at the very top of the industry at that. Do you build a car that looks back to celebrate, or build one that looks forward. Well, Bentley, whose 100th birthday it is, have chosen to do both, although with the emphasis very much on the future.

Revealed this afternoon, the Bentley EXP 100 GT is a one-off electric concept trying to second guess what the ultimate luxury Grand Tourer will be like in 2035.

The EXP 100 GT still manages to look like a Bentley, but with its enormous size – it’s longer than a Mulsanne – and a huge grille – made up of 6,000 LEDs – it’s definitely an extravagant statement from Bentley when most of us expect to be driving round in small ‘Pods’ in 15 years time.

The big grille at the front is accessorised with rounded headlights at each side – and still a Flying ‘B’ on show – the roof is vast and coupe in form, there are splashes of copper and silver and Active Aero wheels.

The interior is covered in leather, wool, reclaimed wood and aluminium, there’s an ‘Intelligent Personal Assistant’, different modes for atmosphere and driving, and it’ll drive itself too, of course.

Powering the big Bentley GT are four electric motors – one for each wheel – delivering over 1,100lb/ft of torque, good for 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 186mph with, say Bentley, a range of 435 miles and an 80 per cent recharge in 15 minutes.

It’s a glorious creation, and a good indicator of Bentley’s electric car ambitions. But technology will probably have advanced so much by 2035 it will probably seem whimsical with hindsight.