Bentley unveils design concept for its first EV and the perfect Instagram shot

British luxury  car maker Bentley Motors has debuted its EXP 15 concept car at the Monterey Car Week in California, a non-production vehicle that the company nevertheless promises provides “hints” to the future design of its first ever fully electric car.

The Bentley EXP 15 is a three-door, three-seat grand tourer that pays homage to the iconic 1930 Speed Six Gurney Nutting ‘Blue Train’ Sportsman coupé.It  is not intended for production but rather serves only as “a design vision for the future” providing “hints” to the design of future Bentleys including the company’s anticipated first fully electric vehicle (EV).

The EXP 15 concept, which was unveiled in July, measures over five metres in length and features a modern light technology-enabled interpretation of a Bentley’s iconic upright grille, a long “endless” bonnet, and rearward cabin reminiscent of the 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman coupe, often known as the “Blue Train”.

Inside, the EXP 15 boasts an innovative three-seat configuration plus tailgate seating. This choice of only three seats and three doors is a direct tribute to the Blue Train and forms the core of the mythos underpinning the story Bentley is telling about the EXP 15.

A single door on the driver’s side is offset by twin coach doors on the passenger side and paired part of the panoramic roof opening upwards to allow smoother entry and exit – so much so, in fact, that the passenger-side seat can swivel 45-degrees outwards to facilitate entry and exit.

“The seat can rotate and you step out, totally unflustered, not trying to clamber out of the car like you see with some supercars,” said Darren Day, head of interior design for Bentley.

“You just get out with dignity and the Instagram shot is perfect. If you look at the car we built for Her Majesty the Queen, it was always designed around the aperture of the door and ‘the art of arrival’. It was really important for us to create that feeling here too.”

Interior highlights include a mix of physical switches and digital interfaces which are supposedly interchangeable according to the mood and requirements of the driver.

As is to be expected with a luxury Bentley concept car like this, a range of lavish interior materials have been used that reportedly “feature a mix of the traditional, artisanal, and sustainable” including a 100 per cent wool textile. However, given that the interior exists only in virtual reality, we’ll have to take Bentley’s word for it at this stage.

Much of what Bentley had to say about the EXP 15 is shrouded in typical marketing and design language, such as the supposed five exterior design principles that influence Bentley’s future production cars: Upright Elegance apparently defines the profile of the front fender; the Iconic Grille reinterprets the famed Bentley grille for the new electric era; Endless Bonnet Line reflects the heritage of the marque’s most famous designs; Resting Beast conveys the visual language of lean muscularity; and Prestigious Shield defines the rear panel that frames the reimagined Winged B emblem.

Following its California sojourn, the EXP 15 is now heading back home to Crewe, the headquarters and design and manufacturing centre for Bentley Motors, where it will apparently continue to inform the DNA of future Bentley models.

“The visitors at Monterey Car Week include some of the most discerning collectors, enthusiasts and aficionados in the world, many of whom already own Bentleys,” said Robin Page, director of design for Bentley Motors.

“EXP 15 is a strong statement of intent, and it was outstanding to see the concept resplendent in the California sunshine. Feedback received from the audience at Pebble Beach will be used to inform the brand’s design evolution, as we continue the journey to design and develop the next generation of electrified Bentley grand tourers.”