Report: Bentley decided to go for SUV over Sports Car (w/ Poll)

Bentley is looking to expand its range since Wolfgang Durheimer took up the CEO position with the ultra-luxury automaker back in February of last year.

Durheimer made it clear that it was his goal to add another model to the Bentley line up, and has come up with several options since he began at Bentley, all based on the Continental and Mulsanne platforms. A sports car was one of the top ideas, among other unnamed projects, that designers really wanted to get their hands on.

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Check out our post on the Bentley EXP 9 F Concept from the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The problem with the sports car model was competition, as Durheimer explains, “The sports car would have had the Porsche 911 Turbo as opposition.” As a former R&D chief with Porsche, his insight here is highly valuable. So, Bentley opted to go with the SUV, based on the EPX 9 F concept, as its first step into fresh territory. “In the end the SUV was a better idea. It sits above all its competition”.

While a Bentley sports car seems to be a good idea, and may still be a possibility for the future, the SUV may be the best pick for the automaker. It’s a great way to showcase the craftsmanship that Bentley stands for, where as performance is what’s at the heart of a sports car, although it would have been nice to see Bentley go much bigger with the SUV. Let us know what you think would have been the best selection.

By: Alexandra Koken

Source: MotorTrend