How Matthias Rabe will keep the Bentley spirit alive Car News

The starting point for Rabe is to understand what makes a Bentley a Bentley. Yes, we are talking about Bentleyness. “We describe the attributes of a Bentley very clearly, and we absolutely see the possibility of creating an electric one,” he says. “First the design, and with that come new body shapes. Probably not today’s sedan, but offering the functions of a sedan with a more powerful design. The second thing is we want a similar ride [to current models] in terms of acceleration, handling and speed: it will absolutely be Bentley.

“Then we want the interior to look like a Bentley, not only with the craftsmanship of the materials, but [also] in digital form – but we won’t do it like the others. We have developed a new approach that we are really passionate about. It’s a Bentley way, and not just like other companies doing it by putting screens on pedestals.

“The really important thing is to take it all and create a Bentley. Look at our Porsche colleagues: the Taycan is unmistakably a Porsche in terms of handling and dynamics, and our Bentley EV will undoubtedly be a Bentley.

The future electric strategy of the VW Group is not based solely on shared platforms, but on shared software that will underpin infotainment systems, as well as live updates, autonomous technology and key features of the car. Rabe says such software and “mobility solutions” will be an integral part of Bentley’s future, but will be delivered in a way that “doesn’t look like a Volkswagen solution”.

He adds: “We’re talking about always being connected, but Bentley style. The user interface will be one of the most important things in a car in the future, especially for our young customers. We are going at full speed on this. Curry [VW’s in-house software firm] goes into detail on the development of the software. We will take these models and apply them in a Bentleyfied way. “

But don’t think that future Bentley models will be built around technology only: “Even after you’ve done all the technical stuff, when you touch, smell and smell nice cars, it’s great. It is important that future cars offer this Bentleyness.