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New Bentley boss nixes any new sports cars in its money-losing lineup

Adrian Hallmark took over the helm at Bentley on February 1 this year. Volkswagen poached him from Jaguar, where he headed the brand's global strategy. Or perhaps we should say re-poached him, since Hallmark served as Bentley's board member in charge of sales and marketing from 1999 to 2005, and helped guide the original Continental GT to market. He's now responsible getting Bentley in better shape financially and sales-wise, and positioning it for growth. Among the products necessary to do that, Hallmark recently told Autocar that flashy coupes won't cut it. "I'll tell you what we won't be building," he said, "and that's sports cars." That means we can forget about the gorgeous EXP 10 Speed 6 coupe that had a rumored place in the lineup after a sub-Bentayga CUV, and the EXP 12 Speed 6e battery-electric convertible. Hallmark cited a few issues with the segment, the first being that the segment hasn't yet recovered from the recession, and the buyer demographic that's left goes up in age every year, clearly a losing game. The kinds of younger buyers who would buy Bentleys, athletes and entertainers, are deterred from the purchase by contractual limitations like injury clauses or aversion to paparazzi photos. As well, in China, wealthy buyers get SUVs or limousines, but Hallmark believes Bentley hasn't adopted the the proper strategy there to take advantage. This is far more than about sports cars for Bentley, though; a recent article in German newspaper Handelsblatt outlined a number of situations the carmaker needs to rectify, including the finding that Bentley's "losing money hand over fist instead of racking up the hefty margins more typical of the class." A German study claimed that whereas Ferrari makes around $80,000 on every car it sells, and Porsche makes a little more than $19,000 on each car (last year it was a little more than $17,000) Bentley loses a little more than $19,000 on each unit. The English manufacturer has posted an operating loss of roughly $92 million through the first six months of 2018, the latest figures in a decline that began in 2014. That financial timeline, however, coincides with Bentley's $1.1B investment in new technologies, which the carmaker cites as the reason for profitability woes.

Bentley EXP 100 GT could become an ultra-exclusive topless two-seater

By most standards, Bentleys are already pretty expensive, but as the global economy funnels more and more wealth to the very top, the luxury automaker plans to cater to an ever-richer clientele with ultra-exclusive, even-more-expensive models. Britain's Autocar reports that one such proposed model is an open-topped two-seater that borrows heavily from the EXP 100 GT concept (pictured), which, if approved, would sell for 1.5 million pounds ($1.9 million) or more. Although the EXP 100 GT concept, which debuted this past summer in celebration of the brand's 100th anniversary, had a configurable two- or four-seat interior and a mostly glass roof, the proposed model is a two-seater with no roof whatsoever — practicality, evidently, not being much of a consideration for the ultra rich. Exclusivity, however, is very important, and it's said that only 12 examples would be built, with Bentley's in-house coachbuilder Mulliner tasked with the construction. Whereas the concept was an EV, the Mulliner-built car would ditch that idea in favor of a traditional Bentley W12 borrowed from the Continental GT — which currently makes 626 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. From the concept, the new model borrows its styling, as well as some of it exotic materials, which included 5,000-year-old wood salvaged from peat bogs and infused with copper, synthetic leather created from wine-making byproducts, and crystal trim elements. If approved, the two-seat barchetta could arrive as soon as 2021. Bentley Convertible Luxury

Bentley Bentayga Stetson Special Edition is Texas-style luxury

A premium Texas car dealership has coordinated the unusual pairing of a top-tier British automaker with a legendary American hat brand. Together, with the help of the bespoke builders from Mulliner, Bentley Dallas and Stetson have birthed the Bentayga Stetson Special Edition. The first example (there will be more) arrived at the dealership this week in White Sand and comes complete with a matching hat.  Although Bentley and Stetson might seem like an odd couple, their similar core values make for a loose connection: lasting quality, timeless design and unmatched craftsmanship. The special edition, which is sold exclusively through Bentley Dallas, is available in three different colors, all of which match an iconic Stetson design. Onyx is meant to pair with the Stetson black 100X El Presidente, Dark Cashmere is for the Stetson Boss of the Plains, and the White Sand paint on this example matches the Stetson Silverbelly. The wheels can be ordered on a normal Bentayga, so the only other exterior alteration is the addition of Stetson badges on the rear side panels. Step inside, and the SUV starts to feel a bit more Texas. Mulliner conceptualized a three-tone configuration with camel main hides, saddle secondary and burnt oak accents. The seats, door paneling, and floor mats feature diamond-quilted designs, and "boot stitching" was used throughout the vehicle as a nod to cowboy culture. Possibly the most beautiful material is the open-pore liquid amber veneer, which is cut from American Red Gum trees in the U.S. Punctuating the special edition, each front seat has "STETSON" embroidered beneath the head rests, and treadplate inserts read, "MULLINER STETSON."  The Stetson Special Edition does not receive any performance upgrades, so it sticks with the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that makes 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. This exact example is listed at $246,578, but each version would be different depending on customer preferences. Bentley Dallas is expecting two more vehicles in October and November. Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga Stetson Special Edition View 25 Photos Design/Style Bentley SUV Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance bentley bentayga Mulliner