Super-luxurious 4x4 gains 635hp of 12-cylinder turbocharged power and aggressive chassis tuning.
How many Bentaygas have they made now?
This is the fifth engine variance announced for the Bentley Bentayga in the guise of the Speed.
Due to make its world premiere at the Geneva motor show next month, the Bentayga Speed follows the W12, petrol and diesel V8s and V6 plug-in hybrid.
The Speed uses the 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 from the regular model albeit a higher 635hp. While that’s 27hp more than in the lesser sibling, the 900Nm of torque is the same.
Underscoring the Speed’s high-performance intentions are new 22-inch alloys, rear spoiler and dark-tinted head lamps.
The interior also gets racy trim, although buyers can always have it personalised. This is a Bentley, after all.
Can it really be the fastest SUV in the world?
Bentley says the Speed goes from 0-100kph in 3.9sec before maxing out at 306kph; the standard W12 has records of 4.0sec and 301kph.
Whether it’s the fastest SUV in the world depends on how you perceive speed. The Lamborghini Urus, a relative also belonging to the Volkswagen Group, runs a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 developing 650hp.
The Urus is substantially quicker from 0-100kph with a 3.6sec record but has a lower top end than the Bentley by just 1kph.
To ensure a sporty and manageable drive, Bentley has given the Speed carbon-ceramic stoppers, louder exhaust and extra-firm suspension setting in the most aggressive driving mode.
Sounds more like a marketing exercise…
That could probably be the case because the increments in performance are so small. In fact, the Speed is only a 0.1sec quicker than the W12 from 0-100kph and has an advantageous top speed by just 5kph.
Which is probably why the Speed is for punters with some 25 million baht burning in their pockets who need bragging rights for an SUV with the fastest top speed.
That claim might be short-lived because the Urus has yet to spawn a go-faster variant (S, SV, Performante or whatever monikers Lambo has up its sleeve).
As well, the Aston Martin DBX and Ferrari Purosangue SUVs are set to appear in production-ready forms in less than a year.
