It was over a year ago at Geneva when we first laid eyes on Bentley's sleek and sexy concept, the EXP 10 Speed 6. Most of us media folk loved it, and the favorable public reaction should have been a clear-cut sign to Bentley that a production version would be successful. But that hasn't happened. What we have heard from Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer is something disturbing: "Imagine the EXP 10 as an SUV." Please, any god out there, no. Just no.

The EXP 10 Speed 6, aside from that annoyingly long name, ought to enter production mostly unchanged from the concept. Imagine the possibilities this car has for Bentley. The Continental GT is aging fast and, don't get us wrong here, it's a big sucker that weighs a lot. Not a bad thing but proper GT cars are an endangered species, and automakers like Bentley need to adapt by making those coupes and convertibles smaller and lighter, though not necessarily less powerful. Think of the possibilities here. The Bentayga's twin-turbo W12 with 600 hp immediately comes to mind, but Bentley could even go with a hybrid-electric boost powertrain of some sort.

Heck, a pure EV whose performance is on par (at the very least) with the best of what Tesla has to offer also sounds intriguing. The point is just because Bentley is now in the SUV business doesn't mean it should downgrade its attention to coupes and convertibles. The EXP 10 Speed 6 clearly represents a bright future for Bentley. We've been told a decision on its future will be made later this year and, quite honestly, it's surprising it's taking this long. This should have been a no-brainer for Bentley a year ago.