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Bentley backpedals on 'pure' sports cars, plans larger SUV

Bentley backpedals on 'pure' sports cars, plans larger SUV

The company has no plans to pursue a roadster.

Bentley has apparently lost interest in developing a two-seat sports car, following years of rumors that a roadster was just over the horizon.

The company revealed the EXP 10 Speed 6 sports car concept in 2015, followed by the EXP 12 Speed 6e electric concept (pictured) two years later. Both were well received by customers but did not get a green light for production.

Speaking to Autocar, Bentley engineering head Werner Tietz confirmed that Bentley has since adopted a revised roadmap strategy that focuses on GT cars and SUVs.

"The concept positioning was not something that fits with our future strategy now," he said. "Pure sports cars are not a topic for us now."

The British luxury marque has turned its sights to more SUVs, opening the door to a model "larger than the Bentayga" that would accommodate expected demand in the US and China.

On the topic of EVs, Tietz cautioned that current battery technology is not quite acceptable for Bentley's performance requirements. The company views solid-state batteries as a potential solution. Such technology is far from certain, however, and still many years away if engineers and scientists prove successful in the quest for commercialization.

Photo by Ronan Glon.