MAXIM.COM SEP/OCT 2019 65Lovatelli in the introduction to Be Extraordinary. “ To create extraor-
dinary cars for extraordinary customers. It signposted the beginning
of an epic grand tour, the Bentley marque earning legendary status
on the racetrack, the road, and the red carpet.” At Bentley, d’Arragona
writes, “our remarkable success lies in our DNA: a double helix com-
prising two distinct strands of genetic information, each entwined
around the other. One delivers uncompromising luxury; the other,
relentless performance. The seamless fusion of the two creates a ten-
sion that courses through our brand: our products, our philosophy,
our drivers, our designers, our fame, our flamboyance, and our future.”
More than just a brand, “Bentley is a destination,” Georges tells us,
“and Bentley customers are very loyal. In particular, they look for this
unique combination of luxury and performance that Bentley delivers,
and for them, there is no sacrifice of one for the other. The product
quality and features allow our customers to enjoy their Bentley as their
main car. And when the time comes for their next vehicle, we collabo-
rate to define through design and features their desired expression,
and this we call ‘co-creation.’ Ultimately, our customers are very close
to our brand and our company, and this further drives their passion.”
Recently we had the opportunity to visit the Bentley factory in
Crewe, England, as part of a VIP preview of the beautiful, brand new
four-door, 626 hp Flying Spur, which Bentley’s CEO Adrian Hall-
mark calls “a ground up development that pushes the boundaries of
both technology and craftsmanship to deliver segment-defining levels
of performance and refinement.” Customers can often be seen being“THE BENTLEY EXP 100 GT
DEMONSTRATES HOW BENTLEY IS GOING
TO EVOLVE AND STAY RELEVANT IN THE
NEW ERA OF AUTONOMOUS CARS”
craftsmanship, conservation, and competition.” Christophe Georges,
President & CEO of Bentley Motors Inc., The Americas, tells Maxim
that these days the grand tourer “is not linked to a body shape. Grand
Touring is emotive and speaks to our desire as engaged drivers to en-
joy the vast open roads. Regardless of body shape or even propulsion
technology, that is how we see Bentley today and in the future.”
The EXP 100 GT, which made its stateside debut during Mon-
terey Car Week last month, is the world’s first electric Bentley, “as
powerful and exciting as any of its conventional predecessors” ac-
cording to the marque, fully encompassing all of the traits of a clas-
sic grand tourer. Four electric motors enable maximum control via
torque vectoring, while a Next Generation Traction Drive system
applies 50% more power, with 35% less mass, as you sweep around the
curves of the road. And it wouldn’t be a true grand tourer without a
cross-continental range of nearly 435 miles.
The zero emissions EXP 100 GT, which is truly the shape of auto-
motive things to come, uses Artificial Intelligence to “predict human
emotions and behavior, learning from every journey to make the next
one even more intuitive.” It can switch between two, three and four
seat configurations depending on the driver’s wishes, and the seats
“biometrically” detect the driver’s mood and configure the seat surfac-
es and temperatures accordingly. “Exceptional, sustainable materials”
meanwhile are “seamlessly fused with tailored technology throughout
the car, providing effortless interaction between human and machine.”
As for the interior, “the embroidery pattern of the sustainable tex-
tile and leather complement the pattern of the grain in the naturally-
felled” British oak veneer, while “souvenirs from each journey can be
captured by the car and woven into your private AI memory library, to
relive in the future.” Bentley also promises “a range of bespoke services
relevant to your life” to accompany the EXP 100 GT, including a “per-
sonalized concierge who will ensure your favorite items are delivered
and stored in the car ready for every occasion,” while when traveling
abroad you can arrange for another EXP 100 GT to be prepped and
waiting, pre-loaded with your own AI content and preferences and
ready for the next adventure.
JP Gregory, Bentley’s dashing young Head of Exterior Design, is
responsible for the EXP 100 GT ’s exterior as well as that of the new
Continental GT. “ The Bentley EXP 100 GT is the perfect demonstra-
tion of how Bentley is going to evolve and stay relevant in the new era
of autonomous cars and alternative fuel,” Gregory tells Maxim. “It is an
intelligent car which captures extraordinary human journeys thanks
to emotionally intelligent AI and allows them to be relived.... It is a
fully-autonomous car that can be driven when one wishes to enjoy the
thrill of driving. It demonstrates the future of luxury craftsmanship
with seamless fusion of materials and intelligent curation of technol-
ogy. And it is a physical embodiment of the future Bentley brand, a
perfect blend of performance, technology and craftsmanship.”
It seems that the brand has been planning this for some time; since
1919 in fact, if you take the long view. “ The aim of [the] company was
from then on established,” writes Count Gelasio Gaetano d’ArragonaTop: JP Gregory, Bentley’s dashing young Head of Exterior Design, worked on the EXP
100 GT. Above: In the car’s interior “the embroidery pattern of the sustainable textile and
leather complement the pattern of the grain in the naturally-felled British oak veneer”