Bentley’s EXP 15 concept offers a bold glimpse into the future of luxury grand touring, blending heritage design with cutting-edge electric innovation.
Bentley has revealed its boldest design statement to date with the launch of the EXP 15 concept, offering a striking preview of the future of luxury grand touring.
Unveiled at the marque’s new design studio in Crewe, this full-scale model isn’t just a design exercise. It’s a direct link between Bentley’s early 20th-century heritage and a new 21st-century design direction.
Honouring the Blue Train Story
The EXP 15 takes its inspiration from one of Bentley’s most celebrated stories: the 1930 Speed Six known as the “Blue Train.” The car became legendary after then-chairman Woolf Barnato raced from Cannes to London, beating the luxury express Le Train Bleu to Calais. That race, and the car behind it, cemented Bentley’s reputation for speed, style, and determination.
This legacy informs the shape and spirit of the EXP 15. It mirrors the elegant proportions of the original Gurney Nutting Sportsman Coupe, with an upright grille, long bonnet and rear-set cabin. The lines are unmistakably classic, but paired with contemporary detailing, modern surfacing, lighting technology, and active aerodynamics.
A Radical Take on Seating
Inside, Bentley has taken a different route. The EXP 15 features a three-seat, three-door layout, described by the brand as offering “greater luxury in transit for the special few.” With tailored storage spaces for pets and luggage, plus rear-facing seating for relaxed, outdoor use when stationary, the layout aims to mix comfort, practicality, and exclusivity.
The centre rear seat can be folded to create more legroom or transformed into space for hosting. A picnic area is built into the boot, with seating that folds out under the tailgate for use during outdoor breaks. The emphasis here is as much on lifestyle as it is on performance.
Combining Craft with Technology
The cabin was designed entirely in virtual reality, allowing design teams to explore different layouts and material combinations. Physical quality hasn’t been lost in the process. Bentley’s signature craftsmanship is still central, from the wing-shaped dashboard to the tactile controls. Advanced digital systems are present, but can be hidden to allow the driver to enjoy a more analogue feel.
Robin Page, Bentley’s Director of Design, explains:
“The beauty of a concept car is not just to position our new design language, but to test where the market’s going. It’s clear that SUVs are a growing segment… but the trickiest segment is the sedan because it’s changing.”
Page highlights the challenge of meeting evolving customer preferences, ranging from traditional saloons to more elevated, integrated shapes, making the EXP 15 a valuable design testbed.
Five Exterior Design Principles
Bentley has identified five design principles that will inform future models:
- Upright Elegance – All Bentley front ends will maintain a poised, upright line, signalling confidence and heritage.
- Iconic Grille – The traditional grille remains, but with new roles. Page notes: “Grilles used to be all about getting air to the combustion engine… But now with light technology changing we have an opportunity to create a piece of digital art.”
- Endless Bonnet Line – The bonnet’s unbroken silhouette continues down the side of the car and to the rear pillar. The space beneath houses storage, accessible via twin panels referencing the original piano-hinged covers of the Gurney Nutting Speed Six.
- Resting Beast – A muscular rear stance defines the shape. Domen Rucigaj, Head of Exterior Design, says: “All the finest Bentleys feature rear haunches that bulge outward… like the rounded shape of the bent upper legs of a big cat.” He adds that proportions are key, with one-third of the car height reserved for the cabin and two-thirds for the body.
- Prestigious Shield – The clean rear design integrates heritage luggage influences with modern functionality. The updated winged emblem and diamond-shaped tail lights set into the tailgate complete the look.
Advanced and Sustainable Materials
Inside, Bentley showcases a commitment to both innovation and sustainability. Highlights include a pure wool ombre textile from Fox Brothers, known for thorn-proof cloth, paired with 3D-printed titanium trim. The paintwork, in a colour called Pallas Gold, uses ultra-thin aluminium pigments for a liquid-metal effect that remains compatible with autonomous driving sensors.
The interior themes range from fine silk jacquard from Gainsborough, suppliers to the royal household, to ‘Acrylic Couture’, a woven metal mesh lit from behind to create dynamic textures. Andrea Jensen, Head of Colour, Materials, Finish and Bespoke, explains:
“When you cut a diamond pattern out of the veneer and put jacquard silk or a hybrid mesh against it and light it up, you can create what we’re calling an active 3D quilt.”
Merging Digital and Physical Worlds
Bentley’s fifth interior principle, ‘Magical Fusion’, brings digital and physical elements together. The familiar rotating display makes a return, this time extended across the entire dashboard, which can shift between a full digital display and a concealed wooden surface.
A standout interior feature is the ‘Mechanical Marvel’, a central analog-style display showing direction, battery levels, and other key data. As Page puts it:
“It’s almost like wearing a beautiful mechanical watch on one wrist and a digital watch on the other.”
Seating Versatility and Comfort
The passenger seat can be repositioned into co-pilot, standard, or relaxed modes. In the latter, the Concertina Floor Storage system folds away to create footrests and hidden spaces for pets or bags. Rear hatch access reveals further comforts, including a fridge and lighting for alfresco moments.
Looking Ahead to Electric Luxury
Although EXP 15 won’t be going into production, it sets the tone for Bentley’s first fully electric car due in 2026. It previews the design cues and digital concepts expected in that model while affirming Bentley’s focus on craftsmanship and sustainability.
Rather than recreating the past, EXP 15 takes inspiration from it. The design avoids retro styling and instead uses subtle references, updated for an electric future. Its long range, performance credentials, and rapid charging potential all suggest how Bentley will retain its brand essence in an electric world.
Interior Themes for the Future
Five interior design principles guide the cabin:
- Wing Gesture – referencing Bentley’s emblem in dashboard shapes
- Bold Gravitas – using large surfaces to showcase high-end materials
- Cocooning Haven – comfort through enveloping shapes
- Iconic Details – familiar Bentley touches like bullseye vents and quilted seating
- Magical Fusion – the merging of craft and digital design
Darren Day, Head of Interior Design, adds:
“We are used to natural materials such as wood, metal – and now stone – in our cars… ‘Bold Gravitas’ is all about the confidence to have a generous amount of any one surface material.”
The New Chapter in Bentley’s Journey
The EXP 15 concept encapsulates Bentley’s future direction as the company prepares for full electrification by 2035 under its Beyond100+ strategy. This concept proves that electric mobility can still be luxurious, stylish, and true to the brand’s DNA.
It is not just a design showpiece. It’s Bentley’s answer to how electric grand touring should feel, built with innovation, grounded in heritage, and crafted for the decades ahead.
