Bentley EXP9F: Excess or Excellence?

With the recent reveal of the Bentley EXP9F SUV concept at the 2012 Geneva Auto show, various forums and pundits have been up in arms about the controversial luxo-brusier. The EXP9F joins the lucrative “high luxury” SUV market, which includes models from next to every major luxury automotive manufacturer in the world. Many people, however, do not believe that Bentley should betray its rich and storied history, as Bentley has never mass-produced an SUV before. Many think Bentley is simply jumping on the performance SUV bandwagon, along with other turncoats like Porsche and Maserati, and will lead to nothing but brand-dilution.

With the EXP9F, however, it seems to be carving out its own specific niche in the market. The most expensive luxury SUVs on sale right now all have high performance dispositions, with high powered engines, sport tuned suspensions, and interiors inspired by the cockpits of high-end sports cars. However, because the EXP9F is a Bentley, things are understandably a bit different. You see, when a well-to-do individual wants a luxurious GT to cruise around in both style and comfort that can be used every day, they have a few paths to choose from. If you want a sporty, fast, and performance oriented GT, the Aston Martin DB9, Porsche 911 Turbo, and Maserati GranTurismo fit the bill rather well. On the other end of the scale, if luxury, interior appointments and ride comfort is your priority, the Bentley Continental GT is the ideal choice. Modern Bentleys always have similar characteristics that are standard across the model range. They feature sumptuous leather, wood and/or brushed metal  interior trimming, state of the art media/infotainment systems, and a ride quality that is unparalleled by anything except perhaps a modern Rolls-Royce, which, depending on the model, usually costs quite a bit more. With the EXP9F, it is business as usual. The seats are large and heavily cushioned affairs, with copious amounts of both leg and headroom. The EXP9F is teeming with every gizmo and gadget imaginable, and the exterior sports the trademark garish Bentley grille that is three sizes too large.

 All of these creature comforts add massive amounts of weight to the vehicle, which only hampers what little performance capabilities this couch-on-wheels already has. Because of the lack of a performance oriented attitude, as well as what is assumed to be a uniquely high price tag, the EXP9F does not have any apparent competitors from other major companies.   The Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Mercedes-Benz G wagon, BMW X6M, and the upcoming Maserati Kubang are the most expensive SUVs on sale today, with prices ranging from $90,000 to $150,000. All of these SUVs are born from companies with rich racing histories, with current model line ups saturated with sports cars and GTs that have racing lineage that can be traced back from decades of race prowess and victories. However, while the Bentley marquee does indeed come from a storied race history, with legendary race cars like the immortal Bentley Blowers, the racing DNA has unfortunately been lost over the ages.

Two of these are legendary race cars, and one is a cushy roadgoing GT. Guess which ones are which....

  Long ago, with the sale to Rolls-Royce in 1931, Bentley eschewed any sports cars in the model lineup, with the exception, perhaps of the legendary Turbo R and the advent of the new Continental GT SuperSports. Because of this, I have little issue with EXP9F going into production. Since the price is sure to be heads and shoulders above the budgets of regular buyers of performance SUVs, and there is little performance history left to abandon, there will be little to no brand dilution. In reality, the EXP9F will perhaps coax a rival Rolls-Royce SUV into production from BMW, which would be a fantastic high-dollar competition that would only be a boon for us interested gear heads.

 When Porsche announced the Cayenne, I was quite disheartened. Porsche has an incredible racing history, with its past model lineup exclusively occupied by low slung sports cars and powerful GTs. As with Maserati and the new Kubang, introducing a sports SUV to a sports car dominated lineup somehow feels cheap. While the SUV does indeed turn incredible profits, it removes the “special” feel of the previous race-inspired models. The entire affair ends up feeling like an exercise in model rebadging, a decision seemingly made by number crunchers, and not fellow automotive enthusiasts, and that ultimately detracts from the “cool factor” of the brand. However, as the Bentley has nothing really substantial to desecrate, the EXP9F does nothing but interest me in the future of the budding ultra-luxury SUV market.