Report: Bentley Working On Four-Door Coupe

[HighestOfHigh]

It appears the four-door coupe segment may be too lucrative even for Bentley to ignore as there are reports emerging that claim the ultra-luxury marque from Crewe is considering launching its own version. Designed to challenge the likes of the Aston Martin Rapide and Maserati Quattroporte, the new four-door coupe isn’t expected to serve as a replacement for Bentley’s existing sedan models but rather as a way to take the brand into new territory.

The information was revealed by Bentley boss Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen who spoke with AutoExpress on the sidelines of the recent 2010 Paris Auto Show. Paefgen explained that Bentley was looking to introduce a “third generation” model to sit below the Continental and Mulsanne lines.

Styling would be based along the lines of the Continental rather than Mulsanne, and to differentiate it from the Continental Flying Spur the new four-door coupe would have a dramatically sloping roofline leading to a hatchback rear.

To cut development costs, the four-door coupe would share a platform with the Audi A7 and could potentially be the lightest and most fuel efficient model Bentley has on offer. Power would come from a new 4.0-liter V-8 engine that’s set to debut at the end of this year in the 2011 Bentley Continental GT, with drive sent to all four wheels as standard.

Since there's no confirmation from Bentley that such a model is in the works we can only surmise that any release date would be still several years away--if the project actually gets the green light.

- Report: Bentley Working On Four-Door Coupe - MotorAuthority

 

[K-A]

Oh no.

Another "4-Door Coupe" huh.

And I can't believe they'd ruin it with the Hatchback like the A7 it's based off of.

Other than the hatch, being how Bentley's been doing it recently, it'll probably be a show stopper though.

 

[Mr Robert]

The Mulsanne is already more 4-door coupe than most other contenders in that segment

 

[HighestOfHigh]

Yes, the VW empire has got to stop with the hunchback look. Already got the A7, Porsche and now Bentley. If they do a 4-door coupe, they really need to avoid that hatchback crap.

I would prefer to see a slightly smaller Mulsanne with a 4-door coupe touch other then the GT crew styling.

 

[Centurion]

Yes, the VW empire has got to stop with the hunchback look. Already got the A7, Porsche and now Bentley. If they do a 4-door coupe, they really need to avoid that hatchback crap.

I would prefer to see a slightly smaller Mulsanne with a 4-door coupe touch other then the GT crew styling.

The hatchback was a pragmatic decision that is paying dividend. If the Panamera wasn't practical and instead shaped as the sexy but half useless Rapide, then sales would have been significantly lower.

 

[K-A]

Are they trying to alienate people with good taste from the brand then?

I've been seeing lots of Panamera's lately, so it's obviously gonna be another Sales smash for Porsche, at least considering what was expected (via styling), and at least in its first couple of years or so.

A Hatchback Bentley would be an abomination though, there is nothing elegant or classy about a hunchback. Sure, it gives the Porsche a quirky "utility" look that will allow people to believe that it isn't useless in a functional sense, and the Audi.... Well, I guess the same goes for that, however I feel with the A7, it'll never get passed being perceived as "awkward" back there.

 

[HighestOfHigh]

Bentley readying four-door coupe for 2018​

Bentley purists have probably been tearing their hair out since we got our first glimpse of the EXP 9 F SUV Concept. "A Bentley SUV? " you could almost hear them saying, incredulous to the idea that an automaker actually wants to make money. Now, word is that the British brand might be jumping on the four-door-coupe bandwagon. The car, which would slot in below the Continental GT, and act as the new base model, would compete with the BMW M6 Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, according to Car.

Size-wise, Car thinks it'd be in line with the Continental GT, at just over 15.5 feet long. It'd wear a price tag of 125,000 to 150,000 euro, which converts to $168,650 to $202,380. In reality, the US-spec baby Bentley would need to retail for no more than $130,000 to $170,000 if it wanted to truly capture the M6, Porsche Panamera and CLS63 crowd. Speaking of that Porsche, Car thinks the Bentley will ride on the same platform.

As is pointed out, the question of which platform this new model will ride on is an important one. The two possibilities are the D5 architecture of the next Audi A8 or the MSB platform, which will underpin the next-generation Panamera. Expect a 3.0-liter V6 and a 4.0-liter V8, both of which will receive special outfittings for duty in the Bentley, when it arrives in 2018. What do you think? Is there room in the Bentley family for a car below the Continental GT V8, and if so, is a four-door coupe the right choice? Let us know down in Comments.

- http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/24/bentley-four-door-coupe-report/

 

[MarcinM]

The question is will this car be really positioned below the GT or above the GT and the Silver Spur. I think the latter is more likely. Next Panamera platform is going to grow and allow for full sized cars to be based on it.

By 2018 the 2002 Pheaton platform based GT and Silver Spur will surely have been replaced.

 

[LaArtist]

Will probably turn out very baller

 

[deniscop]

looks great!

 

[Rainer271]

http://www.autobild.de/artikel/kleiner-bentley-2018--4384395.html