All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

The Bentley Pickup: Absurd Fantasy or Imminent Reality?

At Bentley, the rules of conventional carmaking have never applied in quite the same way. If your imagination is vivid enough—and your wallet deep enough—almost nothing is off the table. From custom-built station wagons to ultra-luxury SUVs, the British marque has long entertained the whims of its wealthiest clientele. And now, in perhaps the boldest conceptual leap yet, Bentley is entertaining the idea of a pickup truck.

Yes, you read that correctly—a Bentley pickup.

The idea came to light in a recent interview with Australia’s CarSales.com, where Bentley’s board member for sales and marketing, Christophe Georges, hinted that the ultra-luxury brand is open to just about anything. When asked about the feasibility of building a pickup, Georges didn’t dismiss it. Instead, he offered a typically Bentley-esque response: such a vehicle could be “cool, beautiful or interesting.”

Of course, that’s not to say it’s in the pipeline. Georges was quick to clarify that no such model is under development, and crucially, no one has placed an order—yet. “There’s no real demand,” he noted. But with Bentley’s bespoke division constantly pushing the limits of automotive couture, it might only take one eccentric billionaire to change that.

Historically, the concept of a luxury pickup has been a rocky road. The early 2000s saw the Lincoln Blackwood—a Ford F-150 in formalwear—fail to capture consumer interest, and Mercedes-Benz‘s X-Class met a similar fate, surviving just three years on the market despite its premium pretensions. These efforts, though bold, revealed an uncomfortable truth: luxury and utility don’t always mix seamlessly.

But the automotive landscape has shifted. Today’s buyers, particularly at the top end, are more interested in exclusivity than practicality. As segments blur and category lines dissolve, a Bentley pickup—perhaps with rich wood paneling, diamond-stitched leather seats, and a bespoke tailgate for polo gear or vineyard tours—no longer feels like satire. It feels inevitable.

Evidence of this shift can already be found in the real world. In 2023, the one-off Bentley Decadence made headlines in the UK. Crafted by DC Customs, this wild transformation of a Flying Spur into a luxury pickup was priced at a cool £150,000. While not a factory project, it demonstrated that demand—even if niche—exists.

And that’s the key with Bentley: it doesn’t take mass-market interest to justify a build. All it takes is one buyer with a dream and a checkbook. As history has shown, “impossible” isn’t a word in the brand’s vocabulary. It’s just another design brief away.

So, will we one day see a Bentley pickup pulling up to a country estate or cruising through the Hamptons? It may sound absurd now—but in the realm of bespoke luxury, the line between absurd and aspirational is thinner than ever.

After all, at Bentley, “no” often just means, “how much are you willing to pay?”

Source: CarSales.com; Photo: DC Customs

EV

Porsche Cayenne Electric Brings High Tech and Big Power

In a bold yet balanced move, Porsche has reaffirmed its commitment to internal combustion engines amid the luxury EV sector’s slower-than-expected growth. But make no mistake—the Stuttgart marque is not hitting the brakes on electrification. Case in point: the all-new Porsche Cayenne Electric, captured in fresh spy shots that reveal a near-production-ready prototype ahead of its global debut later this year.

And from what we can see, it’s shaping up to be a technological powerhouse wrapped in unmistakable Porsche style.

Screen-Filled Cockpit

Inside, the Cayenne EV makes it clear that Porsche is embracing the digital age like never before. The dashboard features no fewer than four displays, arranged in a layered layout that blends cutting-edge tech with traditional Porsche cues. A curved, non-touch driver display acts as a configurable gauge cluster, while two touchscreens—one in the center and another directly in front of the passenger—are seamlessly integrated under a single pane of glass, stretching elegantly across two-thirds of the dash.

But the Cayenne goes even further than its Macan Electric sibling by adding a fourth touchscreen on the lower center console, presumably for climate and comfort controls. Physical switches are nearly extinct, save for a few toggle buttons for temperature adjustment and a rotary thumbwheel for volume—likely a nod to those who still appreciate tactile feedback.

Topping the dash is the iconic Porsche Sport Chrono clock, a design touch that has endured since the 997-generation 911. The new Cayenne also adopts the dash-mounted toggle-style gear selector seen in Porsche’s recent four-door models. Interestingly, the center console sports a unique raised design, possibly concealing a wireless smartphone charging tray below.

Familiar Face, New Foundations

The prototype seen in these spy shots wears only light camouflage—just some faux lighting decals and grille stickers—to obscure its final details. But it’s evident that the Cayenne EV will share visual DNA with the Macan Electric, sporting similar front-end treatments and muscular proportions.

More importantly, it rides on a stretched version of Volkswagen Group’s PPE platform, which also underpins the Macan EV and Audi’s Q6 and A6 e-tron models. Unlike an electrified variant of the current gas-powered Cayenne, this is an entirely new vehicle developed from the ground up for battery-electric propulsion.

Powertrain Expectations

Performance specs haven’t been confirmed, but the Cayenne Electric will likely share key drivetrain elements with the Macan EV. Expect it to skip the Macan’s base rear-wheel-drive 335 hp motor and instead launch with dual-motor all-wheel-drive configurations starting at 402 hp. A high-performance Turbo variant is all but guaranteed, promising figures well north of the Macan Turbo’s 630 hp output—likely positioning it as the most powerful Cayenne ever made.

Pricing and Launch

The Cayenne Electric is scheduled to be launched in late 2025, with sales starting in 2026. The starting price of the entry-level model is expected to be around $90,000, while turbocharged models will cost over $120,000.

While Porsche may be doubling down on combustion engines for now, the Cayenne EV is proof that the brand’s electric future remains very much in motion—and it’s coming in hot.

Source: Porsche; Photo: SHProshots

Gallery:

Porsche Cayenne Electric Brings High Tech and Big Power
Future

BMW Ethos Concept Blends M1 Heritage with Hydrogen Hypercar Vision

BMW M has officially confirmed that a brand-new halo supercar is in development—one that could rekindle the spirit of the legendary M1 from the late 1970s. While the automaker has yet to release concrete specifications or imagery, the news has already ignited the imagination of automotive enthusiasts and independent designers alike. Among the most striking interpretations is the BMW Ethos, a visionary digital concept by Italian designer Sebastiano Ciarcia.

Though purely speculative, the Ethos is more than a fantasy. It’s an inspired fusion of BMW’s design DNA and forward-thinking innovation, crafted with the precision and flair that only a true automotive aesthete could deliver. Ciarcia’s Ethos channels the radical flair of Italdesign’s Nazca C2 from the 1990s, merges it with the futurism of the Vision M Next, and sprinkles in cues from the groundbreaking i8. In essence, it’s a spiritual successor that pays homage while looking decisively toward the future.

Visually, the Ethos is arresting. A dramatic, low-slung profile with a wide stance gives it immediate supercar presence. The glass canopy—akin to a fighter jet cockpit—offers panoramic visibility, while partially exposed rear wheels harken back to classic Italian exotics. The front fascia is a modern reinterpretation of BMW’s kidney grille, now body-colored and minimalist, accented by a subtle, off-center roundel. Ciarcia notes that this design touch nods to BMW legends of the 1950s, including the 503 and 507.

Integrated within the front intakes are sleek LED headlamps, whose placement and shape evoke Le Mans prototypes—particularly the Peugeot 9X8. The sculpted fenders protrude confidently from the bodywork, contributing to a muscular yet elegant aesthetic that Ciarcia describes as “a contrast of soft and hard volumes.”

The rear is no less dramatic. A slim, full-width LED light bar runs across the tail, above an active spoiler and aggressive rear diffuser, giving the Ethos both form and implied aerodynamic function. Yet it’s beneath the surface where the concept truly breaks with convention.

Rather than defaulting to an all-electric powertrain—a common trope in today’s concept world—Ciarcia envisions the Ethos as a hydrogen-powered hypercar. His imagined fuel-cell setup would deliver the high-performance thrills expected of a modern supercar, while embracing the promise of clean energy and alternative propulsion. It’s a forward-looking choice that reflects the broader industry’s quest for sustainability without sacrificing speed or soul.

To further sell the fantasy, the Ethos is rendered in an elegant Champagne finish and staged against the storied backdrop of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como. It’s a fitting location, especially as BMW has used the venue in recent years to debut such exclusives as the Skytop (2024), Z4 Touring Coupe (2023), and this year’s Speedtop shooting brake.

When considering the Ethos’s hypothetical competition, Ciarcia envisions it squaring off with the likes of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, Ferrari F80, Aston Martin Valhalla, and Mercedes-AMG’s upcoming all-electric supercar previewed by the Vision One-Eleven. It’s elite company, and the Ethos holds its own stylistically, at least in digital form.

Ciarcia, a graduate of IAAD and a designer with experience at Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Rimac, and Volvo, is no stranger to bold concepts. He previously gained recognition for his mid-engined reinterpretation of the iconic Lancia Delta. With the Ethos, he demonstrates once again that he’s among the most talented visionaries shaping the digital design landscape—while BMW’s own future supercar quietly looms on the horizon.

Source: Sebastiano Ciarcia via Instagram

Gallery:

BMW Ethos Concept Blends M1 Heritage with Hydrogen Hypercar Vision