‘Comfort Is Too Generic’: Bentley’s New CEO Wants ‘Effortless,’ Driver-Focused Cars to Define the Marque
“It’s not every day you get an opportunity like this,” says Frank-Steffen Walliser at the recent launch of the fourth-generation Bentley Continental GT Speed in the Swiss Alps. True, the newly appointed 55-year-old is in rare company—only a handful of individuals have helmed the British marque since its founding by W.O. Bentley in 1919.
Automotive leaders come in all shapes and sizes—some unabashedly charismatic, others militaristically tactical. At first blush, Walliser’s background seems anathema to how many people perceive the modern Bentley brand. A 29-year veteran of Porsche AG, he began his career as an intern and quickly found his groove in all things motorsport.
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Porsche’s flagship 911 was in the final throes of air-cooled technology when Walliser moved came aboard in 1995. Three years into his job, Bentley avoided extinction by being acquired by Volkswagen AG, later marking the brand’s rebirth with the reimagined Continental GT in 2003. Meanwhiel, back at Porsche, Walliser’s engineering background and focus on internal-combustion technology led him to serve as general manager of Motorsport between 2003 and 2008, and shepherd the RS Spyder to success in the American Le Mans race series. His street-car cred was further bolstered when he spearheaded the 918 Spyder project, thrusting the Stuttgart offering into the so-called holy trinity of supercars that included the hybrid-powered halos from Ferrari and McLaren.
Walliser’s arrival at Bentley comes at a critical time. While the luxury carmaker saw record sales over the pandemic, its Beyond 100 electrification rollout plan has been postponed due to technical challenges and waning demand for EVs. The original intention for the Bentley lineup to go fully electric by 2030 has been pushed to the mid 2030s, with high-performance plug-in hybrids such as the Continental GT Speed bridging the gap. Bentley says the first pure EV will be revealed in 2026.
Walliser admits that he underestimated Bentley when he joined. “One surprise—I don’t know if should say it—is that the cars are better than I thought. Engineering-wise they’re really, really good,” he says. He also reveals that he didn’t realize the level of hand craftsmanship until witnessing it firsthand at the Crewe factory. “Seeing 700 people working with leather and wood surprised me,” he says. The culture shock is understandable given Porsche’s priority on function over form.
After joining Bentley in March, Walliser almost immediately set about connecting with employees in various departments. “In these first days, you really have to talk to people, listen, see how things are going without having an idea or making decisions. I really try to understand the motivation behind the process.”
And here’s where it gets interesting for gearheads: In order to grasp the essence of the brand, the new executive got behind the wheel of a number of cars from the classic collection—perhaps one of the most visceral, direct ways for an engineering-minded individual to understand the emotional intention behind a mechanical object.
Walliser says two models in particular struck him: the Turbo R (1985 through 1989) and the first-gen Continental GT Supersports (2009 through 2011). He says the Turbo R signaled “a kind of rebirth for Bentley. I can feel the idea of the engineers behind that car. It’s really impressive.” The Turbo R has been nicknamed “The Gentleman’s Express” due to the manner in which it combines mountainous torque with fleet cruising speeds and abject comfort.
Walliser describes the Supersports as “Good . . . it gives a lot of feeling and a bit of preciseness. This is something we can work on, to have this character over the complete fleet.” Given that Walliser’s current company car is a previous generation W12-powered Continental GT Speed, his affinity for the platform is clear.
Walliser’s description of the Supersports’ qualities sounds a lot like his vehicular alma mater—which is fitting, given that the new Continental shares a platform with the Porsche Panamera. Other elements derived from the Stuttgart carmaker include the dual-clutch transmission and VW Group components like the 4.0-liter V-8. Despite its resemblance to past Continentals, the new plug-in hybrid represents one of the final lines in the sand for internal combustion, whose timeline has been pushed into the future.
When asked how Bentley will distinguish itself when EV power trains inevitably become ubiquitous, Walliser points to a term he refers to as “Bentleyness.” “For sure you have to do more with the look and feel of the car and its interior so that if you enter, you say, ‘Wow, that’s a Bentley.’ And then maybe your second thought is that it is a different drivetrain.” He adds, “I like the expression of Bentley being effortless. It’s not comfort—comfort is too generic. But effortless [can also mean] your infotainment is easy to use; if you have buttons [versus touchscreen controls] . . . it’s more driver oriented.”
If anything, driver focus will likely be the single most crucial differentiator for Bentley, even when its cars become fully powered by electricity. Up against former stablemate and current competitor Rolls-Royce, there is room for the brand, which swept the 24 Hours of Le Mans through much of the 1920s and early 1930s, to further lean into sporting qualities—which is why Frank-Steffen Walliser appears to be just the right person to lead Bentley into an uncertain future.
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