The Bentley EXP 9 F concept was the biggest party-pooper at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, and there is more bad news from the British automaker. According to MotorTrend, the crossover SUV staged at Bentley at the auto show was chosen over a sports car and two other models.
After the massive disappointment, Bentley immediately put down the pen to redesign the SUV. But there is no coming back of Geneva, and all the praises the sports car would have received, if only they didn’t have second thoughts. Reports suggest, the car was based under the Continental GT with more aggressive and sporty appeal. Worse, this sports car was production variant and ready to go up against the Porsche 911.
Ironically, the model still sits outside the office of head of design, Dirk Van Braeckels. Bentley CEO, Wolfgang Duerheimer, stated that the designers were very enthusiastic on doing a sports car, and there were several other unnamed models in the lineup, before the EXP 9 F concept was chosen for Geneva.
Before being employed at Bentley in 2011, Durheimer worked as Porsche’s chief of research and development, so he knows the risk of going against the Porsche 911. So with the EXP 9 F gone back to the sketching stage, Bentley will make sure not to skip the sports car next time.