New Bentley Bentayga Speed: we get hands-on with the fastest Bentayga ever made
June 02, 2025 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
This is the new Bentley Bentayga Speed, and it ditches the W12 engine in favour of a twin-turbocharged V8. Read on for our first impressions of this luxury SUV.
- New Bentley Bentayga Speed revealed
- Performance SUV gets more aggressive styling
- W12 engine dropped in favour of V8
- The fastest Bentayga ever – 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds
- Suspension tweaks make it more fun to drive
- Likely to cost around £250,000
Bentley has just unveiled the new Bentayga Speed, and despite losing four cylinders from its engine compared to the previous version it’s faster than ever before.
The twin-turbocharged V8 engine puts out 650hp and it’ll do 0-60mph in just 3.4 seconds, while Bentley says the tweaked suspension makes it feel more agile in the corners. Expect this performance flagship to fetch well over £250,000 when it goes on sale in the coming weeks.
New Bentley Bentayga Speed design and interior
At a quick glance this just looks like any other Bentley Bentayga, however look a little bit closer and you’ll notice a few changes for the Speed to help it stand out.
The massive rear wing and lower diffuser are the main giveaways that this is the performance version. You may also notice the optional 23-inch alloy wheels fitted to this car, the largest rims ever fitted to a Bentley. You get 22-inch wheels as standard.
There’s plenty of blacked-out trim where you’d usually find chrome, such as around the headlights and windows. You also get blacked-out taillights, something not seen on a Bentley before.
The cabin looks pretty similar to the standard Bentayga’s although you can personalise it in thousands of different ways. There are Speed emblems embroidered in the seats, as well as a premium sound system as standard.
New Bentley Bentayga Speed engine and performance
Bentley has stopped fitting the massive 6.0-litre W12 engine to its cars, so the new Bentayga Speed uses a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 instead.
It’s not the same plug-in hybrid setup that you’ll find in the new Continental. That car has 782hp, but this non-hybrid SUV has 650hp and 850Nm of torque. Audi nerds out there may have noticed this is very similar to the Audi RS Q8 Performance, and that’s because it’s a very similar engine.
It’ll do 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds, 0.2 of a second quicker than the RS Q8, and it’ll go on to a top speed of 193mph. This makes it the fastest Bentayga ever made.
New Bentley Bentayga Speed suspension and chassis
Bentleys aren’t traditionally known for being pinpoint precise driver’s machines, they are more regarded as soft, luxurious cruisers. Well, the new Bentayga Speed aims to change that with a host of suspension tweaks.
The air suspension has a new Sport mode which makes it 15% stiffer, and there’s four-wheel steering for added agility. You can also get massive carbon-ceramic brakes for added stopping power, and there’s a new mode for the traction control.
You can turn it almost all the way off if you want to go drifting in your two-tonne luxury SUV. We’ll have to wait to drive the new Bentayga Speed to see if these changes have made it a bona-fide performance car.
New Bentley Bentayga Speed: when can I buy one?
The new Bentley Bentayga Speed will go on sale in the next few weeks, however prices are yet to be confirmed. It’s not likely to be cheap though, don’t expect change out of £250,000.
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