Bentley has unveiled a concept car on its 100 year anniversary that outlines a vision of the future for the luxury car brand.

Bentley - owned by VW group - has revealed the EXP 100 GT. The car is designed to carry the DNA of Bentley into the future with a long and low design, replacing a snarling combustion engine with four electric motors and as much power as any conventional Bentley.

That will give you a 0-62mph time of under 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 186mph and huge torque of 1500Nm. 

While this is still a concept model, Bentley says that you'll be able to charge the battery to 80 per cent in just 15 minutes and that it will give you 435 miles of range. The actual battery capacity and the specifics haven't been revealed, but it sounds like it's going to be using the 450kW system that VW group has been working on.

The EXP 100 GT is a huge luxury coupe, some 5.8-metres long and 2.4-metres wide, while weighing in at 1900kg. But aside from the design and the full glass roof, the choice of materials tells a sustainable story, with Bentley looking to lower its impact on the planet. 

The paint, for example, uses rice husk ash, a harmful by-product of the rice industry that normally ends up in landfill, reused here for the paint. Copper and aluminium is used from sustainable sources, alongside British wool for the carpets.

Wood and leather is blended to create a natural interior under that airy glass ceiling, while the body of the car uses lightweight aluminium and carbonfibre to keep it light in weight too. 

Yes, it's a luxury concept and really gives Bentley carte blanche to do whatever it wants, but it's also a statement about where Bentley thinks it is going in an electric future. There's talk of full autonomy, an AI system that will recognise you, adapt the car for you and use biometrics to keep you comfortable.

Underpinning the whole thing is the message that Bentley doesn't want to give up on performance. It's not just about a clean outlook, there's still the sense that under all the veneer, there's a racing car trying to get out.

As for Bentley's all-electric production car, you can expect that to be on the road in 2025, but until then, there's a hybrid version of the Bentayga SUV.