It’s not every day that you come across a car that can do 310km/h, carry a boot full of champagne, and still look like it just stepped off a Savile Row catwalk. But Bentley’s never been a brand for the ordinary, and the new Bentayga Speed is anything but.
This is now the most powerful, most dynamic, and arguably the most thrilling version of the Bentayga the world has seen. You might remember its predecessor, powered by a thunderous W12. Well, that gentle giant has now been dethroned by a feistier, leaner, and more agile V8 twin-turbo.
Let’s get the numbers out of the way. 650 PS. 850 Nm of torque. 0 to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds. Top speed is 310km/h. In a vehicle that still pampers you with diamond-quilted leather and a champagne cooler.
A sports exhaust system comes standard, giving the Bentley Bentayga Speed a deep, baritone growl from its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that builds into a rousing crescendo the harder you push. But if you want something with more theatrical flair, Bentley also offers an optional Titanium Akrapovič system that sounds like thunder breaking over Westminster. Quad tailpipes complete the look.
Now, it’s one thing to go fast in a straight line. It’s another to make a 2.5-tonne luxury SUV handle like a performance saloon. Bentley’s new SPORT mode turns up the aggression, increasing suspension damping by 15%, sharpening steering feel, and enabling torque vectoring for better corner exits.
If that isn’t enough, the optional carbon ceramic brakes are paired with ESC Dynamic, which introduces launch control and on-throttle drift angles. The Bentayga Speed, in the right hands (and on the right roads), can now step sideways like a rally car, all while coddling your backside with ventilated massaging seats.
There’s also rear-wheel steering for better agility at low speeds and added stability when you’re really gunning it. It shortens the turning circle and sharpens responses so dramatically, you might forget you’re driving an SUV until you glance in the rear-view mirror and see your kids’ Lego fort still intact in the back.
You get dark-tinted headlamps, grey tail lamps, black brightware, and an optional black roof that subtly screams authority. New 23-inch wheels are available with the carbon brake option, and come in finishes that sound more like luxury watch trims than car parts: satin grey, machined black, or gloss black.
And if you’re particular about the details, how about brake callipers in one of seven accent colours? Because nothing says bespoke like matching your brakes to your cufflinks.
Slide into the cabin and you’re greeted by Bentley’s exquisite “Precision Diamond” quilt pattern and a darker-than-usual leather split exclusive to Speed models. There are ‘Speed’ badges tucked in tastefully; on the fascia, treadplates, and seat embroidery, just in case your passengers forgot what you were driving.
Even the air vents can be finished in dark tint, bringing a moody sophistication that’s more British gentlemen’s club than tech-laden cockpit.
If you’re after a statement car that doesn’t just turn heads but leaves tyre marks on your expectations, the Bentley Bentayga Speed is worth a very serious look.
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