Bentley rules out new sports car

The brand's top official argues the segment hasn't recovered yet.

Adrian Hallmark, Bentley's new chief executive, is committed to expanding the company's product line-up. He recently revealed the offensive won't include a long-rumored sports car, however.

"I won't talk about our decisions on future models, but I'll tell you what we won't be building, and that's a sports car," Hallmark told British magazine Autocar.

That's not what enthusiasts want to hear; many hoped to see the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept introduced in 2015 make the transition to production. Wealthy buyers even tried buying the concept when Bentley displayed it at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Hallmark defended his decision.

"The sports car sector -- like our own -- is highly volatile in a recession. It can drop 50% or 60%. Only this time, the sports car sector forgot to recover. And if you look at their history, and the average age of buyers, you'll see the age goes up by one every year. It means the car are being bought by the same old enthusiasts," he pointed out.

Demand from the Chinese market could have helped Bentley make a business case for a sports car but buyers there prefer sedans, crossovers, and SUVs. So while Hallmark didn't reveal how Bentley will expand, it's safe to assume the expansion will focus on four-door models.

Photo by Ronan Glon.