Mar. 4, 2015
Bentley Motors is showing the future direction of luxury and performance with the debut of the EXP 10 Speed 6 at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show.
The company was founded almost 90 years ago, and today, Bentley Motors' cars are best known for their luxury using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology.
The EXP 10 Speed 6 concept is a British interpretation of a high performance two seater sports car using modern automotive design, highly skilled handcrafting, the finest materials and 3D printing technology. "The EXP 10 Speed 6 is one vision for Bentley's future - a powerful, exquisite and individual concept," says Bentley chief Wolfgang Dürheimer. "The show car has the potential to be the new pinnacle luxury two-seat sports car. It offers thrilling, driver-orientated performance, complete with trademark modern Bentley luxury and effortlessness."
Bentley's design studio has been using Objet30 Pro desktop and Objet500 Connex multi-material 3D Printers since 2013 for assessment and testing of car parts prior to actual production. Now it appears that Bentley has taken that idea a bit further. Bentley says the car takes advantage of modern 3D metal printing technology.
"3D metal printing has allowed the grille mesh, exhausts, door handles and side vents to be delivered with micro-scale design detail precision. The iconic Bentley mesh grille, for example, is no longer a flat plane of latticework but includes varying depth with a complex 3D geometry only visible when viewed at an angle. Bentley's renowned quilted leather has inspired three dimensional texture to the precision glass of the headlamps."
"It could be a future model line, alongside the Continental GT and redefining the pinnacle of another market sector, and the styling of the EXP 10 Speed 6 could influence the expansion of the Bentley family," says Dürheimer. "This is not just a new sports car concept – but the potential Bentley sports car – a bold vision for a brand with a bold future."
Dürheimer adds the classic and purposeful Bentley knurled surface are now created using steel and copper to create a two-metal 3D texture. He also added that cutting-edge 3D printing technology allowed them to create far more detailed parts than its current production models.
Creating exciting contemporary ideas from classic starting points is evident across the car, from the new interpretation of the iconic Bentley matrix grille and four-round headlamps to the paint colour – a deeper, richer and heavily metallic version of British Racing green. The principles of established Bentley luxury have been applied in new invigorating ways that use the latest technologies and techniques.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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