Bentley exp 9 f (suv)

[Erik]

The new Bentley is live. I hope you like it better than me ;)

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•EXP 9 F all-wheel drive luxury Sport Utility Vehicle concept revealed at Geneva Motor Show
•Potential for third Bentley model-line alongside Mulsanne and Continental ranges
•Bold reinterpretation of Bentley design cues in a spacious, versatile and high performance SUV
•A fusion of contemporary, crafted luxury, advanced in-car technology, commanding driving position and all-terrain capability
•6.0 litre, twin turbocharged W12 engine and 8 speed transmission

[The RS6]

What? That can't be real!!?

[Erik]

Sure is.

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bentley-exp-9-f-concept/#photo-4861922/

[ChicagoAudi]

I don't know what to say about this. I had relatively low expectations, but this concept vehicle managed to smash through to a much lower subterranean level. That said, the interior is exquisitely appointed.

[The RS6]

Wow. I don't think there are words which can describe how bad that is.

[ChicagoAudi]

There are words to describe it, but those words are not appropriate for a public forum.

[Erik]

London Taxi + Range Rover = ?

[JavierNuvolari]

I kinda like it, looks rather nice.

[tailpipe]

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

I find this car deeply offensive. I always thought Bentley under VW ownership would maintain its long-established standards of exquisite taste and discrete decorum. Clearly, I was wrong. This is an ugly monstrosity that breathes new life into the terms "conspicuous consumption" and "ostentatious vulgarity". Would any self-respecting European be seen dead in this thing? In these recession-hit times, it is exactly the kind of car that gets the tax man interested in your personal finances. While it may not appeal to the brand defining target audience of English gentlemen, I suspect that some idiot somewhere thinks Middle-Eastern buyers will lap it up. I don't think so. They tend to buy cars that appeal to Westerners and won't buy it if they think it will make them look stupid, which it will. Can it get any worse? Oh, yes. I am sure you'll be able to spec it in pearl metallic pink puce with gold detailing for extra bling. Bentley, please go back to the drawing board, take a long hard look at the Range-Rover and Mercedes-Benz G-wagen. Then start all over again.

0/10 Must try harder (See me after school, Durheimer)

I will never complain about the pointlessness of BMW's X6 again. in the meantime, this is an object lesson in how to kill a brand.

[JavierNuvolari]

Have a fatty tailpipe, its just a concept that will most likely never make it to production. Plus, I believe that under VWs suppervision they've produced some prettiest cars I've seen, the Flying Spur, the new Continental, Arnage...this will be just a bad memory man, relax.
Now, I was reading this in the vortex as well and found this interesting pic:

http://www.sybarites.com/wp-content/1532504d.jpg

These were commisioned by the Sultan of Brunei...

Saludos!

[tailpipe]

Javier,

Seeing the Exp 9 F was like seeing our beloved Queen dressed as punk rocker: interesting but deeply disturbing and really not what you'd ever want.

I quite like the idea of a Bentley SUV, but this isn't it. I think Range-Rovers have become dull and predictable as well as way too expensive for what they are. I really like the Merc G-Wagen. Talk about a car that's stood the test of time. It is iconic and timeless as well as beautifully engineered. it is a pretty good start point for any SUV.

So, perhaps Bentley will have a second stab at this and make simple and functional on the outside (panzer-like and able to stand abuse) and luxurious on the inside.

[The RS6]

I am ashamed to admit it, but this thing has grown on me. The real-life pictures somehow made it alot better.

Tailpipe, I realize that you, being British, find this a bit ostentatious, BUT, you are also putting it in the wrong segment. This is not a RR or a GWagen competitor. Like the Mulsanne is not a real competitor to 7series/S class.

This is much bigger and awesome on an entirely new level. Remove this silly color, but on some non-bling wheels (the one in the pictures are 23"), redesign the rear quarter and remove the silly light projectors...remove everything that makes it a concept car and I believe we could have a winner here.

It does not have a competitor. The interior is brilliant. 6.0W12 petrol engine. Add the V12 TDI as a possibility.

Seriously. Last time I was in London there were bentleys and Rolls everywhere, unlike any other city in the world. There is a huge market in the GB for this, and even more in the Arabic countries.

[tailpipe]

The RS6,

I think you may be in a minority here. Looking around the web to gauge reaction to the EXP 9 F, I can find very few supporters and a considerable number of people who share my disgust. I don't think this will live beyond 18th March.

I hope Bentley will try again. The idea of a Bentley SUV is sound. It is a logical extension to its product line-up. Sheer size and vulgarity isn't going to cut it, IMHO. I think it needs to be credible off-road in a kind of go-anywhere-without-a-second-thought-way. Naturally it needs to be luxurious, but there needs to be a hard-wearing practicality to the interior. it should be more than a raised limo. I think it has to look masculine, tough and utilitarian. I think Bentley should design it as if they were producing a jeep for the military and then make the basic design luxurious afterwards.

Lamborghini did this very well years ago with the LM002. They had the good sense not to make it look like a Countach.

[The RS6]

I know I am in minority, doesn't mean I'm wrong. :)

For me it's a car I'd probably never buy, but you have to put yourself in the heads of targeted customers, not just kids trolling around the internet. :)

So it needs to show everyone that you're really rich, it needs to be insanely luxurious, very comfortable and capable to drive around sand dunes. This will tick all those.

I honestly don't think anyone would buy a 300.000 (?) pound and 3000kg SUV to go offroading "go-anywhere-withot-a-second-thought-way". If you have that money you could just buy a RangeRover to go hunting. This car is a statement, not a utility-vehicle.

And making it offroad-capable means that it should be smaller, lighter, more agile - none of which are Bentley-philosophy. So it would actually be a posh Cayenne with offroad tires and more ground clearence, which would be more diluting for the brand than this monster they showcased in Geneve.


Remember the reactions when the Cayenne was introduced? Does it make the 911 less interesting? I don't think so...

[tailpipe]

I think you've put your finger on the difference between what Bentley thinks its customers want and what they actually want. The super wealthy no longer want to display their wealth. It invites tax inspectors, criminals and social parasites to take a closer look at you, your home, your family, your possessions and your lifestyle.

Yes, you'll find plenty of Bentleys, Rolls-Royces and Porsche Cayennes in London - it is a world financial capital so is a natural concentration of wealth. But if you look at who owns these cars you'll soon see that most are owned by non-European, non-UK domiciled foreigners, i.e. Arab royalty, Russian oligarchs, Chinese businessmen and assorted Asian tycoons. But these are a minority, maybe a total market of 20,000 units worldwide and maybe a 1,500 units in total in the UK.

These people spend vast amounts of money on cars because they want to communicate power, success, or whatever. But they are trying to buy a kind of social acceptance. Part of that buying process entails looking at what the establishment is buying. Successful people traditionally bought Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and Range-Rovers, but when these brand-defining audiences see the values that made them buy these cars eroded by vulgar bling and OTT ostentatiousness - they buy elsewhere.

As soon as wannabe tycoons realise that the cars their buying make them look stupid and uncool, they'll buy something else. When this happens the market for such a product collapses. Which is pretty much exactly what happened to Maybach. Its demise is proof that you cannot invent heritage - real class has to be built by every car you sell over many years.

This is why i think the EXP 9 F is Bentley playing with fire. it is also excruciatingly ugly.

[The RS6]

In this recession in Europe you are true that rich Europeans don't want to showcase their wealth.

BUT

You are wrong in flagging eastern customers as somehow unwanted for the brand. Bentley makes cars which are expensive, eye-attracting and status simbols. If there is currently no market in Europe for that, I don't think Bentley management will sit back, relax and start making cars which are more market-friendly. Making less Bentley-ish models would be terrible, far worse than this thing. Besides, VW group has Audis for that. Porsches too. I don't think that a rebadged Q7 would be any good to Bentleys reputation.

They have to produce and sell Bentleys. Big, heavy, out-of-this-world luxurious status simbols. If rich Arabs&Chinese want a car like this, they need to get it or they will buy elsewhere. You said it yourself that most Rolls&Bentleys in London are owned by them. So two of your most famous brands have great results because of those customers.

Check this out:
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/02/bentley-needs-chinas-help-to-double-its-market.html
Just read the headline "Bentley Needs China’s Help...".

Or this one:
http://www.britchamswchina.org/news/local-news/china-becomes-second-biggest-market-bentley
"China Becomes Second Biggest Market for Bentley"

You said:
"These people spend vast amounts of money on cars because they want to communicate power, success, or whatever."

That is the whole point of Rolls&Bentley, isn't it? It's not just "Those people". It was everyone, until it became unpleasent. But that doesn't mean you should close down Rolls&Bentley, does it?

This SUV probably isn't the best looking Bentley ever, but there is a huge market for it, or something similar. It needs to be faster, biger, more luxurious, more comfortable than any other SUV on the planet, because todays' Bentley customers want it that way.

And that is what brings money. And that is why management was hired in the first place.

Wow, a long post :)

[tailpipe]

Good discussion.

I agree that the idea of a Bentley SUV is a good one. But to my rather traditional English eyes, the EXP 9 F misses the mark. The right Bentley SUV could be a killer machine. But it has to be sophisticated in concept and execution. That means it has to offer something that others do not. Arguably, it needs to be big and high, but i would like to see supreme off-road ability - something capable of winning the Paris to Dakar race. And that's a purely subjective desire.

My point about the rich and famous displaying their wealth is that in their search for new Asian and Middle-Eastern buyers - who I agree want to display their wealth, power and crassness, Rolls and Bentley are reducing their appeal to their previously strong and loyal customer bases. Newly affluent buyers aren't necessarily brand loyal. They'll buy whatever is flavour of the month. If tastes of new and non-loyal customers change and core customers have been alienated, it can cause a brand collapse. That's the risk.

BTW, the Cayenne only makes sense for Porsche because it is based on the Q7 and Touareg models, which provide the economies of scale needed to make a business case for it. in other words, Porsche needed a tie-up with VW to survive longterm. I didn't think the Cayenne would ever damage the Porsche brand so long as it was a good SUV. The same is true for Bentley. I suspect that any new Bentley SUV may end up being built on the same Q7/ Cayenne platform, which may explain the proportions of the EXP 9 F.

[The RS6]

That means it has to offer something that others do not.

Absolutely. It needs to be above every other SUV money can buy. SUV here representing a class of vehicles which can only go offroad if it's really neccesary, as most SUVs nowdays are :)

Interesting text here by Autocar (http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/261619/), so I'll quote some lines:


"We want it to be the most prestigious, fastest and the most expensive SUV money can buy. We will position it well above the Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and Audi Q7, the most expensive European SUVs at present." says Bentley CEO Wolfgang Duerheimer.

That is a line which not many can brag with :D

--

About foreign markets...


"Duerheimer sees great potential for the Bentley EXP 9 F in emerging markets like China and Russia, but points out that Bentley’s biggest market continues to be the USA, home of the full-size SUV."

Interesting fact:


"The EXP 9 F project is very much the brainchild of Wolfgang Durheimer, who in pushed the Porsche Cayenne SUV through against entrenched opposition from colleagues, dealers and 911 enthusiasts while he was product chief in Zuffenhausen a decade ago."

This concept does need some more work and polishing. This is a silly color. Those wheels are horid. The lights are way over-the-top. But water it down to a production vehicle and I think there is a market. The problem really is that in Europe the request for this kind of car at the moment is probably miserable. But Bentley needs to sell to stay alive, and if that means finding buyers from all over the world and adapting their models to new customers' needs - well so be it. I don't mind. :)

[AndyBG]

For its purpose, its fantastic! I like it!

[andreadebi]

design concept story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XnVeligV3g&feature=channel

instrument panel has three modes: city, country, as well as long distance, thus catering for the specific travel needs.

[tailpipe]

Absolutely. It needs to be above every other SUV money can buy. SUV here representing a class of vehicles which can only go offroad if it's really neccesary, as most SUVs nowdays are :)

This concept does need some more work and polishing. This is a silly color. Those wheels are horid. The lights are way over-the-top. But water it down to a production vehicle and I think there is a market. The problem really is that in Europe the request for this kind of car at the moment is probably miserable. But Bentley needs to sell to stay alive, and if that means finding buyers from all over the world and adapting their models to new customers' needs - well so be it. I don't mind. :)

It's worth reading Gavin Green's (Car Magazine) critique of this car. What he essentially says is that it is a good fit for Bentley to produce an SUV. By definition, an SUV is a vehicle designed to go off-road. If it isn't designed for going off-road, then there is no point in making it. The reason he says this is because a Bentley SUV could really crucify Range-Rover in its home market. The Range-Rover is a hugely popular vehicle among people who actually live in the countryside, who travel across fields and in mud. The hunting, shooting, fishing set love it. Give them a Bentley with superior x-country ability and a more comfortable interior and you've cracked it.

The fact that the brand defining audience loves it will add its appeal to Russians and Chinese. Why sell 3,000 when you could sell 10,000? As things stand, Green believes that it has too much bling and is clearly not designed to go off road. So why would you buy this above a standard Bentley?

[The RS6]

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/bentley-suv-redesign-due/261746


Bentley SUV will get new design

Bentley is already working on a redesigned version of its controversial EXP 9 F, .... , Bentley source told What Car? that the Exp 9 F’s styling is ‘a little heavy handed’ and that an alternative design is in progress. According to the source, the redesigned EXP 9 F will have ‘more traditional SUV proportions and less retro surfacing’. The large round headlights and foglights will remain, but the headlights will be slightly smaller and the foglights will be set farther inward.

...a production version is likely to go on sale in 2015.

The new SUV has been designed with customers in China, Russia and the Middle East in mind, with a long wheelbase to give it limousine-like rear legroom. It’s based on a platform that is expected to underpin many of the VW Group’s larger SUVs, including the next Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne.

The EXP 9 F show car uses Bentley’s W12 petrol engine, producing around 600bhp, and has an eight-speed automatic gearbox. A production version is likely to cost around £150,000.

[andreadebi]

the interior is a piece of art

I doubt the production version will have the same exterior shown in this concept.
However with only few tweaks it's better, look this pshop I found on the web

Next month @ Beijing auto show we will see the lamborghini's suv (initially scheduled for geneva introduction but then posticipated, no good to unveil 2 suv by vw group at the same autoshow :) )

[The RS6]

That's a good pshop. If it was some darker color...it would be great!

[JavierNuvolari]

design concept story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XnVeligV3g&feature=channel

instrument panel has three modes: city, country, as well as long distance, thus catering for the specific travel needs.

Just by watching this spot you can CLEARLY see the public they intend to sell this to, the hawk....the dunes...

[AndyBG]

I'm telling you this is going to be even larger succses than original CGT!
Evrybody, in the "jet-set" will have one!