"Troy Mangum" wrote in
oups.com:

Would you consider the Bengals to be somewhat analogous to the wolf x
dog hybridization popular among some canine enthusiasts?

My (probably naive) impression is that the wolf-hybrids are far more
wolf-like than the Bengals are "Leapard"-like.

The explanation of the origin on the Bengal Cat Society page seems the best.
http://www.tibcs.com/aboutbengals/bengal.php
The wild origin is a small spotted wild cat. The Bengal Cats offered as pets
are several generations removed from that origin.