Rendered Speculation: Bentley looking to expand with entry coupe, crossover?

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Crossover, Bentley, Rumormill, Luxury

Rumors continue to swirl that incoming Bentley boss Wolfgang Dürheimer, who previously served as head of research and development at Porsche, is looking long and hard at how to expand the luxury marque's product line. Considering Dürheimer's experience making magic happen at Porsche, it seems likely that Bentley would tap into the platform used for the Panamera sedan, and that's exactly what the blokes from Auto Express are suggesting.

The first new model may be an ultra-luxe machine that would fit into the burgeoning four-door-coupe segment. If so, expect a price tag in the mid-$250,000 range and engine choices ranging from the tried-and-true W12 to a new turbocharged 4.0-liter V8.

Those powertrains may also find their way into the engine bay of a Bentley crossover, says Auto Express. As much as some may protest, a Porsche Cayenne-based Bentley with a price near the $200K mark would seem a very real possibility... as would an optional diesel engine, which would be new territory for the brand.

Finally, the long-rumored entry-level (can anything with a $150,000 price tag be called entry-level?) Bentley coupe that would slot below the Continental GT is still a talking point. Branching out into any or all of these segments are seen as a way to get back to the 10,000-unit peak sales year of 2007, as compared to just 4,616 units in 2009.

Head on over to Auto Express to see some rendered speculation on what these vehicles could potentially look like.

[Source: Auto Express]

Rendered Speculation: Bentley looking to expand with entry coupe, crossover? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/16/rendered-speculation-bentley-looking-to-expand-with-entry-coupe/

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