► Bentayga Speed now uses a V8 rather than W12
► Ceramic brakes and Akrapovic exhaust available
► But has Bentley pushed it a step too far?
Now into its second iteration thanks to 2020’s facelift, the Speed completes the Bentayga range before the ‘luxury urban SUV’ arrives in 2026: there’s an extended wheelbase (with truly vast amounts of rear legroom), the V6 hybrid, the core Bentayga and now the Speed, appropriately named with its 641bhp.
At a glance
Pros: Fantastic sound, myriad options, pace, stability
Cons: Ride quality on the 23-inch wheels, cost
What’s new?
Not a huge amount – it’s fair to say that the base Bentayga has been tweaked rather than radically overhauled to deliver this Speed version.
Gone is the old Speed’s W12 engine, replaced with a twin-turbo V8 that’s the same as in the ‘core’ Bentayga, only with a few elements dialled up: bigger boost, larger fuel flow injections, lower compression ratio.
There’s a new exhaust system – the Speed comes with the sports exhaust as standard but a new Akrapovic titanium system is also available. Costing £7740, it saves 12.5kg, which is significant but also only 0.5 per cent of the Bentayga’s kerb weight so owners will tick that box for the extra noise it brings rather than any handling benefits from the micro-diet.
Bentley tells us that there’s a new level of slip allowable when you select ESC Dynamic in sport: a moment of spec explanation is needed here. The Speed is available with both iron and ceramic brakes, but you need the latter if you want to get the ‘Dynamic’ specification, which gives you the ESC Dynamic. You can order the ceramic brakes on both the 22-inch and 23-inch wheels.
Visual changes are pretty limited (dark-tint brightware, Speed badges, dark tint headlight and smoked tail lights, those larger wheels mentioned above and the quad Akrapovic exhaust) but they do help tighten the car up slightly. Parked next to a Continental GT Azure, with its harmony crystal headlight detailing glinting in the morning sun, the Bentayga almost looked restrained.
What are the specs?
In an ICE-only world, they’re impressive. 641bhp, 627lb ft from just 2250rpm, 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds. For something that weighs nearly 2.5 tonnes, that’s impressive pace.
But in a PHEV world? Not so much. The M5 Touring now produces 707bhp while the Bentayga’s VW Group stablemate, the Lamborghini Urus SE, whacks out 789bhp.
What’s it like to drive?
The positives first. The Akrapovic exhaust sounds incredible – a deep rumble at low speeds, firing into thunder as the pace quickens and then if you back off suddenly, there’s enough banging to keep an NRA convention amused. It’s hilarious, deeply anti-social and definitely not what you’d expect of a Bentayga.
The new ESC Dynamic mode does allow a bit more slip and interest from the chassis. We tried it on both tarmac and gravel and it worked well on both, letting the car rotate slightly under power and giving the Bentayga a bit more interest. The steering is good here but the chassis feel is better, with a real sense of connection through your seat.
The brake vectoring helps as well, tightening the line when you need it to but not so much that it feels grabby.
Plus, there’s so much pace and attitude on offer from the V8 that you won’t miss the W12 that sat in the last Speed. It’s a rapid car – the Urus SE might best it for outright bhp and acceleration but in isolation, no-one will ever need more than this Bentayga can offer.
The bad news? I’m not sure the trade-off in ride quality is worth the additional dynamic ability. This Bentley can’t compete with the best handling mega-SUVs and now it’s lost a little bit of the core Bentayga’s wafting ability, especially in sport mode. The dampers are 15 per cent stiffer in this setting and you can really feel that in the cabin, not helped by the 23-inch wheels; even in comfort, there’s a bit more crunch than would be ideal.
What’s it like inside?
As impressive as ever. There’s the odd bit of Audi switchgear and the design is starting to feel a bit dated next to more modern rivals like the Range Rover, but as a thing in which to just luxuriate, none really come close. The Urus is shoutier, the Ferrari Purosangue more hunkered around the driver, but the Bentley blends luxe and style brilliantly.
Verdict
Bentley sees this Speed as pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with the Bentayga, giving it maximum stretch, and it’s definitely got a bit more edge.
But I worry that it’s got away from what makes a Bentayga special. It’s still not quite got the dynamic ability of the Aston Martin DBX and now it’s lost a bit of the Bentley refinement. You can’t blame Bentley for trying – since it effectively launched this sector in 2015 with the first Bentayga, rivals have woken up and joined the feast, giving the British firm the headache of staying ahead. But that’s even more reason to play to your strength – the best Bentayga is the base.