Bentley Unveils New Supersports, Matt Gets Pulled Over... Again
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Car
Bentley Super Sport
The Bentley Super Sport is a powerful and luxurious car made by Bentley, known for being very focused on how it drives.
Car
Audi Rs6
The Audi RS6 is a fast and powerful car made by Audi, designed for people who love driving and want a mix of luxury and performance.
Car
Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne is a luxury SUV that is now available as an electric vehicle, meaning it runs on electricity instead of gasoline.
Concept
EVs
EVs are electric cars that run on batteries instead of gasoline. They are better for the environment because they don't produce exhaust fumes.
Car
Porsche Macan
The Porsche Macan is a small luxury SUV made by Porsche. In 2025, it has an electric version, showing that Porsche is starting to make electric cars.
Term
electric vehicle (EV)
An electric vehicle (EV) is a type of car that runs on electricity instead of gasoline. This means it doesn't produce exhaust fumes and is often better for the environment.
Car
Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is a special version of the Porsche 911 designed for racing and high performance. It is lighter and faster than regular models, making it great for driving on racetracks.
Car
BMW X5
The BMW X5 is a luxury SUV that BMW started making in 1999. It was one of the first luxury SUVs and is known for being comfortable and fun to drive.
Brand
BYD
BYD is a car company from China that makes electric cars. They are becoming popular because they produce a lot of electric vehicles.
Term
horsepower
Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful an engine is. The higher the horsepower, the faster and more powerful the car can be.
Car
Porsche Taycan
The Porsche Taycan is a high-end electric car made by Porsche. It's known for its sporty design and fast performance, similar to traditional Porsche models.
Car
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car that has been around for many years. It's known for being fast and fun to drive, and many people admire it for its unique shape and performance.
Car
Ferrari 308
The Ferrari 308 is a classic sports car made by Ferrari. It has a powerful engine and is famous for its beautiful design and fast performance.
Term
2.9 liter V8
A 2.9 liter V8 engine has eight cylinders that help it produce a lot of power. The '2.9 liter' part means the total size of the engine is 2.9 liters, which affects how powerful it can be.
Car
Audi A4
The Audi A4 is a smaller car from Audi that is known for being comfortable and well-built. It's a good option for people who want a mix of luxury and practicality.
Term
five-speed manual
A five-speed manual is a type of car transmission that lets you change gears yourself. It has five different settings to help control how fast the car goes.
Part
air suspension
Air suspension is a system that uses air instead of metal springs to support the car. It helps make the ride smoother and can be adjusted for different driving conditions.
Car
Dodge Challenger
The Dodge Challenger is a big, powerful car that looks like classic muscle cars from the past. It's designed for people who love speed and want a comfortable ride.
Car
Audi Avant
The Audi Avant is a type of station wagon made by Audi. It's spacious and comfortable, making it a great choice for families or anyone needing extra room without going for a larger SUV.
Term
MMI
MMI is a system used in Audi cars that helps you control things like music and navigation. It usually has a screen and can respond to your voice.
Term
rear wheel steering
Rear wheel steering means the back wheels can turn a little bit when you steer. This helps the car turn better at low speeds and stay stable at high speeds.
Car
Porsche 918 Spyder
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a super-fast car that uses both a regular engine and electric power to go really fast while being more efficient. It's a special car that many people dream of owning because it's very advanced and rare.
Car
Opel Manta
The Opel Manta is an older sports car that many people loved in Europe a long time ago. It has a cool look and is fun to drive, making it a favorite among classic car fans.
Company
Akrapovič
Akrapovič is a company that makes special exhaust systems for cars, helping them sound better and perform faster.
Part
carbon fiber parts
Carbon fiber parts are made from a special material that is very light but also very strong. They are often used in cars to help improve performance and reduce weight.
Part
exhaust
The exhaust is a part of the car that helps get rid of gases that come from the engine. It can also make the car sound different and help it run better.
Concept
car project
A car project is when a company works on creating a new car. This includes everything from planning and designing to building and selling the car, which can be quite complicated.
Term
big displacement V8
A big displacement V8 is a type of engine that has eight cylinders and is designed to be powerful. The bigger the engine, the more power it usually produces, which helps the car go faster.
Term
rear wheel drive
Rear wheel drive means that the back wheels of the car get the power from the engine. This can make the car handle better and feel more balanced when driving fast.
Car
Porsche Boxster
The Porsche Boxster is a sporty convertible car that lets you enjoy driving with the top down. It's a bit more affordable than other Porsches but still offers a fun and exciting ride.
Brand
Maserati
Maserati is another Italian car brand that makes luxury sports cars. They are known for their stylish designs and powerful engines.
Car
Bentley Continental Gts
The Bentley Continental GT is a fancy car that's built for comfort and speed. The first version has a big 6-liter engine that makes it very powerful and enjoyable to drive.
Car
Bentley Bentayga
The Bentley Bentayga is a very fancy SUV that offers a lot of luxury and comfort. It's designed for people who want a high-end vehicle that can also handle rougher roads.
Car
Bentley Flying Spur
The Bentley Flying Spur is a luxury car that looks very elegant and is built for a smooth ride. It's designed for people who want a high-end driving experience.
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I'm Hannah Elliott.
And I'm Matt Miller.
This is Hot Pursuit.
Coming up today, Bentley unveils its new Super Sport.
They're calling it their most driver-focused Bentley ever.
And who better to talk about it than Bentley CEO Frank Stephan Walliser?
And I also want to talk a little bit about the Audi RS6 that you've driven and has been
out this generation for years and years, but I just got to spend a weekend.
Plus, Porsche has a new all-electric Cayenne.
And Hannah, the reaction on social media, absolutely brutal.
Yeah.
And maybe you rightfully so.
Almost feels like a Jaguar rebranding moment.
Possibly.
I mean, it just feels like everybody in the world and their mother is doing a major
gut check saying, this is not what Porsche means.
It's not what it stands for.
And we want to get this out of here.
Get it out of here.
I think, you know, to be fair, I feel like Porsche,
they already know that this has been a problem their journey into EVs.
And it's caused hundreds of millions of euros in losses.
And the stock has lost half of its value since they started trading a couple years ago.
But it's been a disaster.
But also, you know, it is so weird.
I just went back and I looked at the numbers because I want to, you know,
the McCann has an electric version.
And I went back and looked at sales, the first half of this year 2025 of McCann.
And half of McCann sales were the electric version,
which I thought was actually surprisingly decent, considering how poorly
this whole EV experiment has gone for Porsche.
Yeah.
Isn't that weird?
No.
I mean, I expected that kind of thing because I was talking with David Welch,
who is our Detroit bureau chief at Bloomberg about this, and he reminded me,
there was a time when the purists were so angry about the Cayenne at all,
you know, when they first came out with it.
And of course, all of the-
I disagree.
All of, well, I remember the backlash.
I was living in Berlin.
It was the early 2000s and people were, some people were mad about it.
But that's the reason that we have all of these GT3 RS Y-socks now.
This is, I would say, I did actually listen to your interview with David,
and I completely disagree with that characterization.
It's apples and oranges introducing a completely new model like an SUV that has been proven
in the market.
And actually, Porsche was late to the game to introduce an SUV.
That was already proven as a surefire success because most of the American market is SUVs.
Everyone was already doing it, and that was a known quantity.
Porsche had to do it to make money and, you know, quote unquote, as the story goes,
save the company, which is probably debatable, but that's not the point here.
Here, this is something completely different, which is Porsche trying to move forward ahead
on something that is not proven.
And it's something that is still hotly debated and is something that is still in its infancy,
really.
I think that this is a completely different scenario.
Well, that's a fair argument.
And of course, you're right on many of those points.
BMW had such great success with the X5 before Porsche came out of the Cayenne.
And it's not just the EV part of this that people are reacting negatively to.
In fact, I think for the most part, it's the design.
I looked through the negative sentiment on the Instagram post,
the initial one, and it's most people are saying like, look,
this could be a car from BYD.
You know, why don't I just go ahead and buy a Chinese EV if they're going to be the same thing?
Yes.
Now that take I really do agree with.
And yeah, if OK, if this vehicle had come out and somehow magically looked really cool,
I think people would have been a lot more forgiving that, OK, it's an EV.
But the fact that it's electric and it looks like a blob.
The fact that it looks like a blob and is so clearly it does look like it was just created by AI.
Like there's there's no there's no personality.
There's no take.
It's just sort of a blob.
Of course, people are going to hate that.
And for good reason.
Now I was going to say that actually comes out of love because obviously Porsche is such a
beloved brand and like the people who are going to criticize the most are also the most
invested and the most engaged.
It's because they care and it means so much to them and they don't like it.
So I mean, it's a good sign that people are so upset in a way.
Because it means they're still engaged and they care.
Yes, it's not like Jaguar where people are just outright disgusted or confused or it was a
political thing because they were so woke.
This is definitely car enthusiasts who care a lot.
As faith no more said, we care a lot about Porsche.
But I will say Barry Ritholtz and you can probably guess what his response was.
He said 1136 horsepower.
Why do I care what a bunch of idiots on social media say to his point?
You know, I spent recently spent a week driving the Taycan.
It was an amazing vehicle.
Like it's not a 911.
It didn't really it reminded me of a Porsche because it looks like a Porsche and it has
the badging all over it reminded you of a Porsche.
It actually is a Porsche.
But anyway, but it was amazing for whatever it is.
It was great.
Now, the problem for me is it's the same price as a 911.
So why wouldn't I just buy a 911 because that's better.
Look, we always go back to the thing, which is after a certain point,
horsepower numbers are irrelevant.
It doesn't matter that it's 1100.
It doesn't matter if it's 2000 horsepower.
It doesn't know.
Here's the best way that I've ever heard it described.
You can cook a piece of meat in the microwave really fast.
But that doesn't mean it's going to taste better than if you cook it
for a slower time on a grill.
Right.
As long as it gets hot enough to cook.
Totally totally true.
You get the point.
You get the point just because a microwave can cook something super quickly.
But we don't want to eat microwave food.
We want to have char broiled, crispy, juicy, grilled steak.
Of course.
That's what we want.
Yeah, no.
I mean, a lot of people would much rather have a 1988 911 with 217 horsepower.
When you say other people, are you talking about you?
Not necessarily me.
But yes, I would like that.
I've been looking at a lot of these old cars lately
and they have low numbers.
I saw this Ferrari 308 on BAT this week.
Absolutely gorgeous.
But it only has a 2.9 liter V8 with 230 horsepower.
And I wouldn't care.
And it probably, what does it weigh?
They probably weigh like 2,000 and change.
Just tipping the scales there at 25 maybe.
Yeah, I guess it's all relative.
And Barry's a little bit biased because he has a 911 that he electrified.
Yes.
All right.
So anyway, that's the Porsche story.
I still want to talk a little bit about the RS6.
But when we come back from break, we're going to give you our interview with Bentley's CEO
talking about the latest unveiling, the truly driver-focused super sports.
And we'll explain, of course, his connection to Porsche as well.
Bentley CEO Frank Stephan Wallace are up next.
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Welcome back to Hot Pursuit.
I'm Matt Miller with Hannah Elliott.
And Hannah, I got a chance to, I finally got a chance to drive the Audi RS6 Avant.
As you know, I have a history with the brand.
My first car that I ever personally bought was an Audi Avant, the A4 version.
Mine was the 2.5 TDI with only 180 horsepower, by the way,
and still felt fast to me with the five-speed manual.
This thing, though, is an absolute beast.
As you know, you've driven it, right?
I still have it.
I've had it for a week, yes.
And even though I'm actually recording from Las Vegas, the F1 race here,
I still have it.
It's waiting for me at home.
It is.
Oh, yeah.
I've really been enjoying it.
It's a treat.
I mean, I'll tell you what.
I've been pulled over twice in it.
Wait, OK.
So we heard about the first time last week when you were pulled over
because you were running late and you slipped out of those handcuffs.
Yeah.
Now, what happened this time?
So I was cruising through Hartstale in Westchester,
and I came to an intersection where I noticed the light was red.
But there was a parking lot, and I saw that it went out on the other side.
Oh, yeah.
So you pulled one of those moves.
I pulled into the parking lot, kind of looked at the building that was there,
and then pulled out the other side, avoiding the light.
I feel like for everybody, it was more efficient, right?
Sure.
It helps to flow of traffic, really.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
But the police officer who was parked right there didn't think so.
Oh, what?
But did you see them parked?
Did you?
You didn't even.
As I was making that move, I saw him sitting there.
And I thought,
what was your actual infraction?
Well, apparently that's illegal, or that's not allowed.
That's what he told me.
Well, what if you were pulling into the parking lot,
and then you changed your mind, and you quickly decided,
I don't need to be in this parking lot?
Well, and that's exactly what I said.
I had my wife with me, and she said, as the guy was pulling me over,
she said, tell him you wanted a bagel.
But I said, no, because I've got a meeting.
Yeah.
And perfectly plausible.
Could be true.
Right?
Maybe that is the case.
So I told him.
I said, listen, I pulled in here because I wanted a bagel.
It was a bagel shop.
And as I pulled in, my wife, who's sitting right here,
told me, no, I have a meeting to get to.
We can't stop.
So I pulled right out again.
How did that go over?
He said, I don't believe you.
But then he handed me back my driver's license
and registration and said, don't do it again.
Oh, gosh.
Those guys are so strict up there.
I have to say, they got a lot of time on their hands.
That's my thing.
This guy was doing nothing but just waiting at the light
for someone to do what I did.
Like, why doesn't he go solve a crime?
Send him to Los Angeles.
He'll have his hand full.
I mean, that is the least of our worries.
Is that really even against the law?
I don't think it can be.
How can you write that law?
Change your mind because you don't want a bagel?
Come on.
Anyway, the car is an absolute beast.
Oh, yeah, back to the car.
It's making, basically, the point is,
it's making you drive like a renegade.
Maybe, but it's weird because it's a big old station wagon.
I mean, it's heavy, right?
It's got to be bordering on 5,000 pounds this car.
I don't know.
I don't have the Moroni with me.
I looked, I think it's like 4,900.
Obviously, amazing power with the twin turbo V8,
and I was in the performance version,
which gets over 600 horsepower and like more than 800 pounds.
About 21, I think.
It's, it's huge, right?
And that's part of the joy.
It's so fast.
Yes.
Even for such a big car, it's easy to place,
place it where you want it.
So it's very precise and...
Zero to 16, 3.3 seconds.
The air suspension is super plush,
but also can stiffen up when you need it to.
Now, I do have some, I have some notes.
I have some notes or just some,
they're not notes, but more thoughts.
For one, you kind of touched on it.
It's a big, it feels to me to be wide and quite long.
You know, this, this car is going to take up all, all of the lane.
Did you sense that when you were driving it?
It's big.
Well, keep in mind that I drive a Dodge Challenger
on the wide body version on a regular basis.
Okay. So did it feel equal to that?
It felt about the same, yes.
And, and, and, but longer,
because it's so long, right?
It's long, it's big.
I mean, on the one hand, that's a lot of storage space.
Yeah, that's what you want it for.
Completely.
And I honestly, and I will get on my soapbox for this,
I really wish more Americans would get out of their SUVs
and get into wagons.
And this goes back to,
because the wagon can do everything that you really
are actually in reality doing the SUV.
I know people want to think that they can get off road
if they need to or get out of snow or whatever,
but the reality is you don't need that big SUV
when a beautiful wagon like an Audi Avant
will more than cover any of the realistic needs that you have.
I mean, obviously, I agree with you 100%.
And I thought about that the whole,
every time I was driving it,
especially pushing hard into a corner,
I was like, ah, so, I'm so glad that this is a low wagon.
And it is pretty low.
It's not at all lifting.
I'm careful.
Yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm going slow, you know,
as I pull into the valet stand at sunset tower,
I am going slow.
Oh, but that, that reminds me of two things
that I have to say that are very positive about this car.
Number one, I don't think I've ever had a dream
about a car before, but when I got this car that night,
I had a dream that I was drifting it.
Cool.
Which I don't, it was just like a snapshot of a dream,
but the dream was literally I was in this RS6 drifting it
and it was really fun.
And I can honestly say,
I don't know if I've ever dreamt about a car before.
So that's, there's something emotional there,
which is very, a very good sign.
You can, you can drift it too.
I'm here to tell you.
Yeah, I, clearly.
I've already been doing it in my dreams.
And then the second thing is,
it got the prime parking spot.
I did go to sunset tower a couple times with it
and it got the prime parking spot at least once of
there's one single parking spot out front,
which is the car that is on display for everybody to see.
And they parked it out front.
And I got a buddy who works in the valet stand named Gustavo
and it wasn't even Gustavo who parked it with someone else.
So that car gets respect, which I really like
and it's emotional.
Now that the thing that I'm not in love with
is the center console screen.
Oh my goodness.
That's what I am in love with.
In fact, when I test drove it
and then my wife, so I think it's fair to say
that you and I are both very tall.
So for us, we don't need the lifted,
like the raised seating height of the SUV.
A lot of people who are more vertically challenged,
my wife's not short, but she said,
look, I like sitting a little bit higher.
You know, so that's why one reason people like SUVs,
but for me, I was like, all right,
well, let me look at a Q7 then or a Q8,
which I love the design of that so much.
And make sure that they still have this center console,
this MMI, because we complain about the lack of buttons
in so many other cars and this car also has no buttons,
like almost no physical buttons.
But it has this haptic response
that makes the, for me at least,
the infotainment system really pleasurable to use.
And I find also the whole system to be really intuitive.
And the bottom screen of the two-screen setup
is almost always HVAC.
So I thought it was great.
Like I would take any car with that setup in it.
I really liked it a lot.
I do agree with you that it is an intuitive setup
and it works very well and very seamlessly.
My quibble is that with that haptic style screen,
you can't just gently touch the screen.
You have to like push it harder.
You know what I mean?
I like that.
Yeah, I know what they're trying to do,
which is like simulate a button.
So you have to actually push it harder.
But then I'm like, why not just have a button?
Because if it's a screen,
I'm just intuitively thinking,
I can just touch it really lightly,
like just brush it and keep going.
And it doesn't actually register that input.
You have to push it harder.
And I find myself like jabbing my finger
to push the button, which isn't a button.
It's a screen.
I imagine like all the cars that we test out
for a few days or for a week,
this is the kind of thing that you would get used to
if you owned it and lived with it on a daily basis.
Either way, you would adapt.
But my only complaint with this car
that I loved so much,
I was automatically configuring them online
and shopping for used ones,
the problem I have is the complexity.
And this is something we talked
to Frank Steffen-Walliser about as well.
Like it's a twin turbo.
It's got the air suspension, rear wheel steering,
you know, the whole electronic system on the inside just,
there are so many things that can go wrong
and can break down.
And repairs, you know, of brands like this
just cost so much money.
I mean, I lightly cracked the headlight
on my Mercedes GLS
and it cost $5,000 to repair it.
So yeah.
And that was just a light crack on the outside glass.
I was like, can we just repair the glass?
They were like, no, no, dude.
We got to order the whole headlight pod
with the computer and the chips and everything.
That's horrible.
But that's the same thing.
If you knock away mirror off the RS6,
it's going to cost you many, many thousands of dollars.
How did you crack that headlight out of curiosity?
I gently bumped it into another car in my driveway.
Oh no.
Oh, God, Matt.
Anyway, this kind of complexity
is something that we talked to Frank Steffen-Walliser
about as well.
And I want to get into the first part
of our interview.
Remind us quickly, Hannah,
why we talked to this guy so much about Porsche.
Well, of course, as our listeners may recall,
Frank Walliser was the head of Porsche Motorsport
and really credited with multiple Le Mans victories,
the 918 Spider development,
and really a guy that has made Porsche racing successful.
And that goes back to our earlier conversation
about Porsche, you know, it's Frank and his team
that really kind of is the beating heart of Porsche.
Porsche has always been a racing brand.
That is the DNA.
And so Frank had a big role in that.
All right, let's listen to what Frank has to tell us.
This Super Sports, the new car,
it's got a Manta racing wheels.
It's got a Krapowicz exhaust system.
Serious car people know these brands
and they might know them from Porsche.
Or Ducati, Krapowicz.
Of course.
Famously switched from Turbignoni to a Krapowicz
because the exhausts were so much better made.
Of course.
You've got the daughter of a very famous Porsche racer,
Mr. Ikazawa, who's now helping shape some of the Bentley messaging.
I'm curious if Bentley Brass get tired of you talking about Porsche
and like it keeps coming up in the conversation
and I'm starting to see almost like a dovetailing between the brands.
Is that even accurate?
No, I think number one, I'm really cautious on comparing the companies
because Bentley has a very rich own history and everything.
It's not about copying it for sure.
Yes.
And this is not so much about my knowledge or my link to it.
It's inside the company and this is what amazed me a lot
when we started that project.
It was really kind of igniting what was there anyway.
And we just kicked off the project and then people came up
with the ideas, with the aero, with the wheels,
with the tire setting, the tire selection
and how to tune the car and then maybe I fueled it
a little bit up and gave some directions.
But it was never to say,
okay, we have to target that car or this car.
It was really an own Bentley interpretation.
It has also showed a lot about self-confidence
and the knowledge inside the company.
And that's, honestly, that's even more fun to do so.
And yes, there's some suppliers out we are using.
They're just amongst the best in the industry.
Why not?
Why going elsewhere?
Go to the professionals.
Go to the best what you can get.
And this is the same for carbon fiber parts.
This is for wheels.
This is for exhaust.
We know what to do.
And we know also what we can do in our factory,
like the seat adjustment to create a new seat in that time.
This looks easy, but this is a safety part, airbags,
everything what comes with that.
And we have the engineering capabilities
and we have the manufacturing capabilities
to really make something in such a short time
that this really is great.
A little bit engineering's paradise, honestly.
You came and essentially flipped a switch
or you ignited something that was already there
that the company already had in it.
And I'm just wondering if you think Bentley had gone
too far towards luxury maybe
or too far towards complications
when simplicity may have been better.
I always, we always talk about the fact
that I really want a turbo R.
I love those and all of the Bentley's
are the last 20 or 30 years.
And fortunately, they're affordable for me
because they're so complicated
and maintenance costs are so high
that other people are avoiding them.
Do you want to kind of turn that around a little bit?
I think simplification is a matter anyway
and that fits also to our luxury proposition
because luxury is normally not complicated.
It's curated and simple and someone makes you the choice
and the choice is thoughtful
and it takes it away from the customer.
And that's part of our luxury proposition.
So it does not, yeah, it contributes to that.
When I started, for sure, I looked carefully
on history and what have been the cars
and you mentioned the turbo R
that was the car that changed a lot
in the Bentley brand perception
and it was the return of the,
or the birth maybe of the power sedan.
And that's the reason for being Bentley
because from that point on, it was outselling the siblings.
And that just shows, yes, the sporty image
and it's not only image, it's also the car delivered.
It's very important for it
and it's part of the Bentley DNA.
400 horsepower in the late 80s.
Yeah, unbelievable.
Think on that tires and brakes.
We maybe went a little bit too much in luxury
and only craftsmanship but it's more.
The rewarding car, the car that makes fun to drive
and it's all built in these cars.
The capabilities are there
and now it's up to emphasize it again
and to give also clear direction to say,
well, if you do the curation, we do the curation.
That means we will have to give up on compromises.
Clear direction for the car, a clear signature.
Very easy to explain car.
And I think that that's maybe the power of the supersports
to explain this car.
I need 10 seconds because I will tell you
it's the lightest ever.
It's rear wheel drive.
It's a nice only car.
That's it.
And the message lens.
And we can see the social media reactions.
It's very clear.
Everybody understands it.
This is good.
We have to make benefit out of that.
And this applies to every car.
There's more to come.
We have different segments.
It looks different for sedan than for an SUV.
And for sure to go on the continental
is the most natural and easy one.
Second is, and I think this is also very important,
the leak and the price point where we are selling cars.
It's about emotions and the brand.
And this is a common understanding.
It's not something we fight inside the company
or we have a we have difficult discussions
within the board and within our management.
We are very clear.
We want to bring more emotions back to the brand.
You made the comment.
We need fans.
This is very important.
And this is a bit of a new focus
that you've brought to Bentley.
Talk a little bit about what you meant
when you said we also need fans.
I think it's for a car brand.
And there's famous examples from names I will not name now
but they have a red car in Italy.
They have definitely more fans than buyers.
But this is a big part of it.
And this is for every luxury brand.
You need to be admired for your joys you made.
If you are the only one that is convinced on a product
that's not part of a luxury story
and you want a show and that other people say
I would like to have such a car
even if it's not my price tag.
But I really like it.
And this is the fans.
But we have also to address to the fans
and not just say no, this is only for customers.
We want to be accessible to show the fans why not sharing
and show our passion and show what's behind.
This is for example why our stand in Goodwood
was open to the public.
Everyone and I think it was 10,000 people
could sit in a Bentley and make a photo.
And a lot went out and said I was never sitting in a Bentley.
It's a lot of butts and seats.
Yeah.
I mean, is it to me when you say
when you mentioned the Italian brand, I think, okay,
did Porsche follow that blueprint
and now Bentley is following the Porsche blueprint?
Can we make that connection
in terms of there are more fans and buyers?
I think Porsche is maybe the masterpiece
of orchestrating the community.
It developed over the years.
I would say it's from the result.
It's definitely there was their master plan.
I don't think so.
It developed and it was adapted.
And a lot of people are very passionate
and brought it in.
And for sure the group is bigger and the whole thing grew.
I think it cannot, there are some cases in the world,
some car manufacturers and this is Ferrari,
this is Porsche.
They cannot be repeated
because you don't have 75 years of history
and everything what was built up over the years,
all the different cars, the stories,
the motorsport, the heritage, the racing,
you cannot copy that.
And it's not about copying it.
It's more about to understand how does our brand work?
What is specific on us?
What is special and unique on us?
And yeah, make this accessible
and then develop an own brand plan
that says, okay, we take this element.
And for sure in today's world,
nearly everything exists.
You will never have something totally unique.
And all the time someone will come,
oh, you copy this, you copy this, you copy this,
it's never new.
Stand in the shoulders of giants.
Yeah, but on the other hand,
it's also combined cleverly and then execute.
The idea of a super sports
have been around for many, many times,
many, many years.
But it's about execution.
It's about do it, make a decision,
take the money.
And for sure it was also risk.
So we invested a little bit of money,
not only a little bit
to make such a car happen.
I can't imagine it being a tough sell
to the board to do this car, but was it?
I was the board.
So with my colleagues, we know, I think
the interesting thing is,
and this is maybe definitely a,
or this is a strength of Bentley
in the configuration we have at the moment
with our management, with the board,
we are really very, very quick aligned
on what direction we go.
And super sports was not a hard sell.
We have all been convinced all
that this is the right way to do it.
And we had to find a way to finance it
and to bring it in and very tough timing.
And yeah, then you have to work on
to make it possible from procurement
to finance, from manufacturing to logistics.
It's a complex car project.
So it has 250 something new parts.
So this is really complex.
And that shows what the organization.
The project, but as you say,
the explanation of the car is not complex.
No, no.
It's high horsepower, you know,
big displacement V8 rear wheel drive.
Everybody looks at that,
even people who can't afford it
and can identify with it right away,
as opposed to something that's super luxurious
and complex and that's only for,
they'll think it's only for CEOs.
And I'm not gonna, I just wonder how hard it is
for an ultra luxury brand like a Bentley or Rolls-Royce
to get the kind of accessibility that Porsche can offer.
Because, you know, there's always a Porsche
that you can go out and buy for 30 or 40,000,
like a 996 or a Boxster, right?
And it's not too...
On the aftermarket.
Yeah.
And it's not too complicated to have your,
the gas station on the corner work on it, right?
Whereas with these two, you know,
British brands especially,
obviously with Ferrari as well,
but there's a different case,
you can't, you're never gonna be able to offer something like that.
You don't want a Maserati yourself, you know?
Ooh.
Will not comment on this.
Yeah, this is why I say you have to tailor it
for your own brand, what you can do.
And on the other hand, if I look at,
especially in the UK,
continental GTs, first generation,
6-liter, W12s, nice cars.
So awesome.
This is affordable.
Yes.
And it comes...
I look at them a lot.
Yeah, and it comes with,
and that's maybe,
that's the power of the Volkswagen Group.
A lot of the paths where you look from a reliability point of view
is, that's the wrong wording,
but I use it as mass production.
So very reliable.
So the engineering what you get on that car is really good.
Yes, spare part prices.
Okay, that's maybe costs a little bit of money,
but that comes with the value price.
But it's something that a regular person can handle.
I would say maybe it can be done.
Yeah, I know what you mean.
Not mass production,
but having a massive brand behind the production
must be helpful.
What about future product?
Like this is our first glimpse of what you can enable Bentley to produce.
What else is there?
We all know the Continental and the Bentayga.
Okay, Eevee, interesting.
But this is the next big thing.
What about something different than those two?
I only think of Continental and the Bentayga.
So what can you...
For sure, we look in the complete range.
We look in our offer what could drive excitement.
Maybe also on the Bentayga side,
what could that look like.
And I think this is important now.
I was asked yesterday,
oh, now you do a super sports Bentayga
and you do a super sports flying spur?
I said, no, no, no, no, no.
Maybe more extreme car of the Bentayga.
Maybe something what is more exciting.
Maybe a coupe or I don't know.
I know, but I don't tell you.
What is the interpretation in a flying spur?
And then you have to make specific decisions to that.
But as you said, in the area of a flying spur,
the flying spur is for me such a perfect car already.
I'm not sure if you could add something similar
than on the super sports there,
because he's already the performance sedan
coming with the luxury of a Bentley.
So it's not, again, it's tailoring.
It's to understand the brand.
It's understand the marketing
and the markets and the customer demands
and then to come out with the ideas.
But for sure, Continental is our core product.
And it's really brand defining.
And there we will have the majority
of our focus on Continental.
And second, as the market is so big on Bentayga.
That's the Bentley CEO, Frank Steffen Walliser.
Coming up after the break,
how AI is redesigning what luxury looks like.
More of our chat right after this.
And I got some buying advice for an air-cooled Porsche.
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Welcome back to Hot Pursuit.
I'm Matt Miller along with Hannah Elliott.
Let's get back to our conversation
with the Bentley CEO, Frank Steffen Walliser,
who also worked at Porsche for a long time
and is famous for that.
And I will tell you quickly, Hannah.
You know, I asked him about my air-cooled Porsche search.
And I'm leaning towards I thought like 964
because it's the end of, for me,
generation of Porsches that all look the same.
I've thought about, you know, an earlier one.
I saw Magnus did a video on the International Race of Champions
in which he's driving a very old one,
far too expensive for me.
But I was like, oh, maybe I could backdate.
Our era, yeah.
Yeah, to get to the 70s.
But, you know, they all have more primitive suspension.
And Frank said it's a rubbish.
He said go with the 993
because they had upgraded to a multi-league suspension in the back.
They had already coilovers from the 964.
And he said everything else is like, he didn't say trash,
but he implied like not even worth driving.
You know what?
I remember when you asked him that
because I was standing there
and I kind of loved how unfussy his answer was
because didn't he make some comment about, oh, you know,
people get into what wheels are you running
and all this stuff.
And he kind of just like was like, shoot it all away.
And he was very unfussy about it.
And I just kind of liked it
because this guy is an engineer mastermind
and he just kind of brushed it all away
and was like, oh yeah, you know,
just get the 993 and drive it.
Yeah, for him, there's no debate.
Like he has thoughts.
He's decided and that's it.
But the funny thing is I was texting Magnus later
and he said that's like my least favorite generation.
I know it is.
It is.
He doesn't like, he really doesn't like it.
I mean, I don't like the way the 993 looks.
The headlights already starting to lay back.
And it looks like every time I see a 993 that's red,
I feel like it resembles the guy from cars.
You know, the red guy from cars.
Oh yeah, totally, totally, totally.
I don't want that.
You know, I want something badass.
I want to step out of it in cowboy boots
with my dreadlocks and big beard.
You know, that's, I want to be the outlaw.
You need something a little more ornery.
I do.
You need something that feels a little rambunctious for sure.
And that's, you know what?
That's kind of like what the supersports is for Bentley
as well.
They're getting a little bit more ornery.
Yeah, let's come on, giddy up.
Let's go.
All right, let's get back to our interview
with Frank Steffen Walliser, the CEO of Bentley.
I want to ask about something I've been thinking about
a lot with these really old historic luxury brands.
And it's the idea of AI and how software
is increasingly becoming a key differentiator
for a lot of buyers in cars, but in luxury cars too.
So how do you implement that in a very old,
historic luxury brand that it's not necessarily
a friendly fit with software?
Yeah, well, the question is now from a little bit
more an engineering perspective,
a car like supersports without software,
no chance to realize it.
Because we are using all the systems that are in from
the roll bar adjustment to the air suspension
to the slip differential to the engine tuning.
This is this is everything based on software.
You can make the driving everything.
I mean, more specifically, like the interface
with the interface and the infotainment.
There is it's really it's a way to find
again the curation to make it to make it simple
in the use.
What's definitely a bigger effort than to make
everything adjustable because you have to make decisions.
It can be also in the luxury segment really helpful
to build up, but you have to invest.
And the real task is just the size of the company
because we are small volume.
And if you are the competition is coming from premium
because there is high volume,
a lot of engineering capacity in and to keep that level.
This is really demanding.
And again, this is benefit as we have resources in the group
we can use and benefit from.
And then we have to find a Bentley way
in an interpretation of a digital user interface
to not just have something what is replaceable.
Do you feel that there will come nice ideas
with our next car that we will present.
I would say it's really very, very good ideas.
People have been very sought to on.
I was thinking, does the Bentley buyer expect Bentley
to be at the forefront of that or not necessarily.
I don't think it's expected to be at the forefront,
but it's expected to be on ice level.
You want to use your car play.
You want to connect your phone.
This has just to work.
Also the driver assistance systems,
they have more and more impact on the driving
and people expect that they work flawless
from prefix sign recognition to
lane keeping.
All these things have to work yet.
No, we don't have to be the first,
but we have to keep the pace.
I look around the other brands
in your stable and the Volkswagen stable
and I think of the successes like the RS6
that I'm driving right now.
By the way, they've done a really good job
of haptic feedback and controlling things
through screens without making it annoying,
but obviously I think a lot of people
would like to go back to buttons for things,
especially like HVAC and volume.
I look at the GT3 with the touring
and I obviously love the tactile manual transmission.
I'm not suggesting that Bentley
has to do something like that,
but can you break away from,
can you give us a shooting break?
This whole conversation was going to come to that question.
The honest truth is when I woke up this morning
and I looked at the supersports,
the front was clearly in view
and the rear end of it was kind of in the distance
and I could imagine that.
You did, dreamed it.
I sort of thought of it
and I also happened to love,
I love everything from the clown shoe to the FF
and I'm in the RS6 right now,
so I think about that, right?
I like to discuss this really in the US.
Here is a wagon, no one buys a wagon.
Why is that?
I don't know, but it's everybody,
all the car enthusiasts, we need it, we need it, we need it.
Once the cars are on the market, nobody buys it.
Well, it's because they just default and buy an SUV.
If SUVs weren't optional, it's an arms race
and you're worried about-
Yeah, but the SUV has won.
And the SUV has won,
but if we remove the SUV option,
then everyone would get wagons and be fine with it.
But SUVs after 140 years of car development,
150 years, we have came up the best body form
and the best body style is SUV.
Well, it's the biggest market.
How about this?
Will you do more of the one-offs
of the high dollar custom projects
that your English competition has been doing,
that your Italian competition has been doing?
It results in big margins and also results in a lot of fans too.
A lot of times if you get the right buyer
or if it's shown in the right place, you know?
The key is, as you say, the right buyer is the right place.
But you need a little bit also technically spoken,
you need a good platform to do so.
If you have a mid-engine carbon fiber hang-on body,
it's very easy because you keep the easy in,
but it's easier because you have a spine
and then you put a new body on it
and then you call it a something.
And there's a demand in the market
because it's unique cars, it's coming from the factory
and it's great stuff and great business.
Would it fit?
Well, number one to Bentley's technical background we have
more is harder to realize and if you do,
it has to be really done properly.
I see for the Bentley ideas and for our offer,
the sweet spot is more in the area of super sports.
So means higher volume, higher price point,
but limited run that could be more exciting for us.
Well, it is pretty darn exciting.
Just from looking at it and reading the numbers.
I have one final question for Frank.
What have you learned in your year at Bentley?
What surprised you?
From souvenir housing to crew.
Yes, because I have to imagine it is, it's different.
Yeah, for sure.
It's not only another company, it's another country,
it's another culture.
I learned a lot I think about the culture.
I had a coach, business coach that helped me on a regular base
and I exchanged my feelings and learnings and everything
and it was good.
It gave me also sometimes directions.
On how to deal with the Brits?
Yeah, but this is not a problem.
And Bentley, no, really not.
And Bentley has a number one, a welcoming culture.
People are really open-minded and integrate people
relatively quick and they know how to deal with the Germans for 25 years.
Well, maybe longer.
They're coming in all the time.
No, no, no, this was the easier part.
For sure you have to learn what can the company do,
what are the capabilities, maybe points where you can improve.
How does the whole system work?
How does sales work?
How does the financial things work?
You learn an overview and you get the right things.
On the other hand, you have to act immediately till you have no time
so you cannot make an analysis and then reflect and then go on.
So we did the whole strategic work was done within eight weeks.
The team was supportive and then we changed the direction.
We looked at the electrification.
We looked at the offer of the hybrids and a lot of learnings for me.
And then we immediately started new projects
immediately.
So after 12 weeks, we started with the next projects and next programs.
So that was really a quick start.
I would say it worked pretty well with the integration.
My colleagues could judge that better.
But no, I think it worked and I also embraced it and liked it.
I liked the complexity in the job to have this overarching responsibility.
I think we have a really, really good team in the board and with our
extended management team together, a very trustful, open-minded,
a good culture in Bentley that is open-minded.
The small team is nimble and agile.
What I like is my raising genes to go through.
Yes.
Stay light on your feet.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I like to add horsepower.
Right.
Right.
Add lightness.
I like that formula.
Exactly.
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
It's been a real pleasure.
Please come back before a year from now.
We should do this twice a year.
Good.
Once again, our thanks to Bentley CEO Frank Steffen Walliser.
He is truly an awesome dude.
And by the way, he also had PR with him.
Each of them knew everything about every generation of every Volkswagen vehicle.
So like a really smart team.
They've got a tight operation.
Let me tell you, they run a tight ship over there.
I want to have those guys on as guests.
Like we can't have a PR person on as a guest.
I know.
No, it wouldn't be proper.
But there are a couple of PR people and one of the PR people with Frank who joined,
there are a couple that I want to write a book.
And I know they never would because they're discreet and professional.
But you know that they know so much.
And they have so many interesting stories.
I'd love to read that book.
Yeah.
They know where the bodies are buried and they have such deep knowledge.
I know.
So very cool to have them here in studio.
Yeah.
That does it for this week's show.
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About this episode
Bentley has unveiled its new Supersports, touted as the most driver-focused model yet, with insights from CEO Frank Stephan Walliser. The episode also dives into the polarizing reactions to Porsche's new all-electric Cayenne and Matt's amusing encounters with law enforcement while driving the Audi RS6 Avant. The hosts debate the merits of EVs versus traditional performance cars, the importance of brand heritage, and the future of luxury automotive design, all while sharing personal anecdotes and expert opinions.
Original notes
Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser joins the podcast, plus Porsche's Cayenne EV and the Audi RS6 Avant.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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