Bentley is set to unveil its debut electric model before this year is out, and spy photographs have already confirmed it will be a compact SUV. The name remains unannounced, but some trademark research at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office points strongly toward the answer: "Barnato."
The Barnato trademark was filed on August 20, 2025, and encompasses "motor vehicles and parts and fittings therefor," with specific mention of electric vehicles, electric charging cables, and EV charging stations. Given that Bentley has no other electric vehicle in development and has already stated it won't launch a second EV before at least 2030, we think the Barnato trademark is almost certainly for the upcoming electric SUV.
Barnato is a name that carries substantial meaning within Bentley's history. Woolf Barnato, born in 1895, was among the celebrated "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s — a cohort described by the brand as "playboys, racers, and adventurers" who elevated Bentley's profile through motorsport. Barnato, heir to a diamond mining fortune, purchased his first Bentley in 1925. The following year, with the company struggling financially, he stepped in with enough capital to acquire control and assume the chairmanship.
During Barnato's tenure, Bentley produced landmark pre-war machines including the Speed Six and the supercharged Blower Bentley. He was also a formidable racing driver, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans three consecutive times at the wheel of a Bentley between 1928 and 1930. He's perhaps best remembered for a legendary 1930 stunt in which he raced a Bentley Speed Six against Le Train Bleu — a renowned French luxury express running from Cannes to Calais — with the added stipulation that he would reach London before the train arrived in Calais.
Barnato won by four minutes, though French authorities levied fines for the speeds required to do so. To commemorate the feat, he commissioned the Gurney Nutting Sportsman coupe — a modified Speed Six that he dubbed the "Blue Train Special," a name that later generated considerable confusion about which vehicle he had actually raced. Notably, images of this coupe influenced Bentley's EXP 15 concept, the electric SUV preview unveiled last year.
A trademark filing guarantees nothing; Bentley could still select a different name. In both the EU and UK, the brand has also registered the name Torcal, though it hasn't yet filed for that name in the U.S. — while Barnato appears on the EU and UK trademark registries as well.
Bentley still holds an active trademark on "Mulsanne," the nameplate once used for its flagship sedan, but CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser recently confirmed at a media event that the Mulsanne won't be returning. Despite ongoing interest and calls for a new version, sales of the original didn't warrant the investment. Our best assessment remains that Barnato is the chosen name, but the confirmation will come later this year.