Bentley Concept Java - Is a Midsize Bentley Finally on the Way?
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| The 2004 Bentley Continental GT should prove to be an amazing sports coupé. Audi's aluminum space frame construction methods will help to keep its weight down while a twin-turbocharged 550-hp 6.0-L W12 with 675 lb-ft of torque will drive through all four wheels via a 6-speed sequentially shifting automatic gearbox - whew! |
Now that Bentley Motors is backed by the well-funded, product-line diverse Volkswagen Group, there's no doubt its own lineup will grow. What do they need? Well, with the new Continental GT recently announced, the prestige automaker obviously won't need a full-size coupé. But the luxury marque, often chosen for public appearances by royals and diplomats the world over, has needed something on the smaller end of the limousine spectrum for decades.
It doesn't make sense to even propose an Audi A4 sized luxury compact, at least not yet. But a midsize luxury model, possibly based on Audi's sensational A6 sedan, would be an intriguing subject to entertain. All said I probably wouldn't have thought of it unless the boys from Bentley hadn't beaten me to it, quite some time ago I might add.
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| The Java was a wonderful concept, previewing styling cues of the following generation of Bentley models - all but the distinct wraparound headlamps that is. |
It was 1994 in Switzerland, the Geneva Motor Show to be exact, and Bentley unveiled both a 4-seat coupé and a convertible. Each variation of Concept Java, penned by Bentley's Graham Hull in conjunction with experts from Design Research Associates, embodied a wonderful evolution of traditionally British styling cues, especially evident in their front and rear fender swells and each classic waterfall grille, while the flush, wraparound headlamp clusters presented a very modern design twist.
To look at the cars now it's easy to appreciate how their conceptual styling paved the way for the next wave of all-new Bentley's, including the Continental, Azure and most recent Arnage, excluding their 'radical' headlamp treatment. But that said, only the Java's general design saw the light of day.