Bentley Said To Be Planning A Hypercar For 2019

The Bentley Bentayga may seem just a luxurious SUV, but it’s the vehicle that dragged the British car manufacturer into a new era.

An era of overhauling, bald experiments and rediscovery for Bentley. Don’t get me wrong, the Crewe-based car maker will remain dedicated to its core values, but at the same time will try to push the boundaries of what many consider a “sacred” luxury standard. Case in point, a Bentley-branded luxury SUV. Who would’ve thought?

Still, speaking with Top Gear magazine, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer confirmed that the British car manufacturer is prepping something special for its 2019 centenary, stating: “Our centenary would be a good time to create a new limited series car.”

If you think that statement might just have increased the EXP 10 Speed 6’s chances to make it into reality – as the concept car is on Bentley’s “to do list” for quite some time now – then you’re in for a treat. As the British magazine reported, Dürheimer also pointed out that an alleged £1 million ($1,550,545) hypercar is one of the options being evaluated, saying:

“That project will be investigated intensively in Crewe within the next month,” states Dürheimer. “The question is, do we build the standard car you would expect in that segment? Or do we go with lots of carbon fibre and lightweight components? Now that would be a car we could take to the big guns.”

As much as everybody would want to see a materialized variant of the EXP 10 Speed 6, a full-blown, bespoke hypercar would make Bentley a top contender at the big-boy’s table, transforming it into a more well-rounded, capable car manufacturer, that won’t be criticized of having only pumped-up VAG-based automobiles in its line-up (although the Mulsanne, unlike its lesser siblings, shares fewer components with other marques from the Volkswagen).

But won’t it hamper the almighty future Bugatti? Well, Dürheimer – who also runs Bugatti, by the way – will make sure it won’t, as the car will be a full million cheaper (if you can call it that), than the £2 million ($3,101,000) upcoming Bugatti. Did I mention that Dürheimer was the man who coordinated the 918 Spyder into production during his time at Porsche?

Note: Bentley Hunaudières concept pictured