2020 Bentley Bentayga Speed Revealed: The 626-Horsepower, 190-MPH SUV For the 1 Percent
Bentley claims it to be the fastest SUV in the world—and we believe it.
Year, Make, Model: 2020 Bentley Bentayga Speed
Topline: Bentley has somehow amplified the opulent Bentayga to a new level which the British marque claims to be the top of SUV performance. With 626 horsepower and a 190-mile-per-hour top speed, it's the fastest in a stacked class of high-output luxo-barges.
What's New: The primary focus of the Bentayga Speed is to carry passengers in ultimate comfort at absurd velocities...and to hang bragging rights over the heads of the auto world's upper crust. Its almighty twin-turbo, 6.0-liter W-12 engine is treated to more boost in the new variant, producing a colossal 626 horsepower—that's as much as the Nurburgring-blasting Lamborghini Huracan Performante. To help stop all this rolling mass (well over 5,000 pounds), carbon ceramic brakes are offered as an option for the first time in the Bentayga's short history. All-wheel-drive is standard as well, ensuring traction when jaunting from stoplight to stoplight or on sub-optimal road conditions.
Aside from its performance doodads, the Bentayga Speed boasts copious amounts of flair in the form of uniquely designed 22-inch wheels, custom "Speed" badging, and dark-tinted elements such as the headlights and radiator grille. These will help passersby notice that you aren't driving any "typical" super-SUV, and to impress your friends inside the car, Bentley has been liberal with the use of Alcantara for the first time in the Bentayga.
Other customization options are a shoo-in as Bentley makes a good deal of its profit from placing personal touches on customers' cars. In the ever-growing segment of high-end people-carriers, automakers are giving buyers more freedom than ever to make sure they stand out whether they be on the freeway or Rodeo Drive.
Quotable: "Designed, engineered, and handcrafted in Great Britain, the Bentayga Speed is the most powerful and performance-oriented Bentayga to date," Bentley said in a press release. "It builds on a long tradition of Speed models that was born with the Continental GT in 2007 and pushes the boundaries of Bentayga performance further since claiming the production SUV record at the grueling Pikes Peak International Hill Climb last year."
"With a top speed of 190 mph, the Bentayga Speed is our most powerful and performance-oriented variant to date."
What You Need to Know: The Bentayga Speed will make its official debut at the Geneva International Motor Show in March before going on sale later this year. No pricing figures have been announced, but expect a steady hike from the standard Bentayga's entry cost of $195,000. Not that any Bentayga ever built has actually been that cheap in the first place.
