New Bentley Bentayga Speed most powerful ever

BENTLEY has introduced its latest performance enhanced flagship Bentayga Speed large SUV that the storied British marque spruiks as “the most powerful and dynamic Bentayga yet,” tipped to list in Australia at more than half a million dollars… excluding on-road costs.

Replacing the previous W12 powered model, the new Bentayga Speed sports a twin-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8 under its expansive bonnet with outputs of a whopping 478kW matched by an equally imposing 850Nm of torque.

It is sufficient to propel the bulky Bentley AWD from 0-100kmh in a scant 3.4 seconds onto a v-max of 310km/h despite shifting close to 2500kg. The 0-100km/h reference beats the W12 model by half a second.

Bentley says the new Bentayga Speed eclipses its predecessor in agility and outright speed thanks to many changes and upgrades under its pumped skin.

They start with enormous 22-inch forged alloys (optional 23-inch wheels available with carbon-ceramic brakes) shod with Pirelli high performance rubber and upgrades to nearly every dynamic aspect of the car extending through mechanicals and electronic calibrations.

Once all that speed is achieved, the big Bentley may be arrested by a quartet of large diameter steel brakes refined through motorsport and all modulated by more than mere ABS as the Speed is equipped with an enhanced torque vectoring system for further grip gains.

A “Dynamic” stability control mode allows on-throttle slip angles (drift) and full launch control, a first for the brawny Bentayga all accentuated by a newly adopted standard sports exhaust or optional titanium Akrapovic exhaust both said to deliver a powerful and engaging soundtrack bellowing from the back of the Bentley bus.

The model’s exterior features dark tint bright-ware, dark tint headlight internals and grey taillights with dark tint bezel while the interior features Precision Diamond quilt design upholstery, dark tint air vents and badging and exclusive Speed colour split.

Delving a little deeper into the Bentayga Speed’s capabilities we find improvements centred on a tweaked Sport chassis mode and the already mentioned new ESC Dynamic setting that brings “maximum driver involvement and the choice between enhanced roadholding or the ability to slide the car on-power”.

The V8 engine output comprehensively surpass those of the lesser Bentayga V8 S (4.4 seconds) as well as the 3.9 second mark set by the previous W12-engined Bentayga Speed.

Peak torque of 850 Nm is between 2250-4500 rpm, with what Bentley describes as a “torque plateau” designed to deliver an “effortless wave of acceleration that’s a constant of Bentley performance”.

Three drive modes are available, unchanged Comfort and Bentley modes that retain day-to-day and grand touring competency and Sport mode that is significantly enhanced, delivering increased steering response, roadholding and driver connection, bolstered by a 15 per cent increase in suspension damping stiffness. 

Bentley says the “enhanced Sport mode enables the driver to exploit the power of the V8 engine more fully when cornering and to experience the exceptionally agile turn-in capabilities of brake torque vectoring”.

“For the ultimate in braking capability and driver engagement, optional carbon ceramic brakes allow the selection of ESC Dynamic in Sport mode, which relaxes ESC intervention to permit exhilarating drift angles or power-on oversteer where appropriate,” it added.

The new Speed now features all-wheel steering where at low and medium speeds, the rear wheels are steered in the opposite direction to the front wheels to aid a rapid change of direction, and at high speeds, the rear wheels steer in the same direction as the front, to improve stability.

The exterior is differentiated by its dark body hardware finish, chrome strip, Speed badges, dedicated Speed headlights with dark tint internals and a dark tint bezel, grey taillights with a dark tint bezel.

Inside is an ocean of quilted leather in various hues highlighted with Speed badges and splashes of dark chrome.