Most powerful Bentley Bentayga ever to be unveiled in a matter of days

A new high-performance variant of the Bentley Bentayga will be unveiled on 2 June, and rather than using hybrid technology, the flagship SUV is going to keep things old school with nothing but a hugely powerful V8 engine under the bonnet.

As well as emphasising the fact that this currently unnamed new model’s twin-turbo V8 engine will forgo any hybrid assistance, Bentley says it will produce more than the 626bhp in the previous W12-powered Bentayga Speed.

Not only will this be the most powerful Bentayga to date, the British marque also promises that its new flagship will be the most dynamic, most engaging and best sounding iteration yet. 

To that end, Bentley has fitted a new sports exhaust system with enormous elliptical tailpipes. Meanwhile a more extreme calibration for the car’s Sport mode with new settings for the stability control system will apparently allow drivers to drift this 2.5-tonne leather-linned colossus at “exhilarating” angles.

It’s safe to assume this new version will use a highly tuned version of the Bentayga's existing twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8. This is a well proven powertrain that’s currently rated at a relatively modest 542bhp, even in the sportier S variant. Historically, this was to ensure a bit of performance headroom for the W12, but having laid that engine to rest last year, Bentley is now happy to crank up the V8 to well over 600bhp.

Not using a plug-in hybrid powertrain may seem like an odd decision, because the Speed versions of the new Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur use this technology, and deliver 771bhp. But sticking to just the V8 will not only make the new version lighter than the plug-in hybrid Bentayga, it should also give the car an even more dynamic character than the W12-powered Speed, which was always affected by its engine’s prodigious weight. 

In that car, Bentley employed a whole range of chassis tech to keep the weight in check and we expect the same here, with the firm fitting complex hardware such as the company’s active anti-roll system, rear-wheel steering and air suspension. 

Being a high-performance flagship, there should also be a round of styling changes outside, plus a set of big brakes – potentially with carbon-ceramic options – and new 22-inch, or potentially even 23-inch wheels. 

The combination of elements could well make this new model live up to the company’s claims that this will be the most dynamic and engaging variant of the Bentayga yet. It’s likely to cost over £200,000 when it arrives next year, but production is likely to be limited due to the 2026 cut-off for Bentley’s pure ICE model lines in its Beyond100+ strategy.

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