The Bentley EXP10 Is the Geneva Auto Show’s First Big Surprise

And there we were thinking that the only Bentley sports cars were Jaguars.

Thanks to the swarm of spy photographers crawling the Nurburging, Death Valley, and the Arctic Circle, plus the lawlessness of the Internet, it’s rare for a car to be a true surprise. Somehow, hot on the heels of Ford’s GT bombshell, Bentley has released a wholly unanticipated new sports car: the EXP10. The car combines the face and curves of the larger Continental, but on a footprint—and in a slender profile—reminiscent of Jaguar’s F-Type Coupe.  In what might be a first for the brand, the nose of the car is tapered and sloping, not the usual square-jawed affront, and though this is still a visually robust car, there is a certain delicacy to its lines that we both never anticipated from Bentley and absolutely love—this thing is sensuous. The interior uses the typical materials, Poltrona Frau leather, chrome, steel, and walnut trim, but in a sportier configuration. The “EXP” means this is officially a concept car, but now that the secret’s out, it would be an international crime to keep this car from production.