The New Bentayga Speed: A Gentleman Who Drifts

If you've ever wanted to feel like an aristocrat with a street-fighter’s temper, Bentley has crafted just the toy for you. The Bentayga Speed ditches its old W12 in favor of two turbos, eight cylinders, and 650 horsepower of pure mischief.

This new V8 Bentayga isn’t content with just looking refined and smelling like champagne served on leather seats. It wants to accelerate. It wants to slide. And thanks to a new drift mode, complete with full-blown launch control, it absolutely can. Zero to one hundred in 3.4 seconds. Opt for the carbon-ceramic brakes and this luxurious giant will charge all the way to 310 km/h.

But that’s just the opening act. Bentley gave this beast an ESC Dynamic mode, loosening the stability control for some honest-to-goodness sideways action. Torque vectoring has been reworked, and Sport mode got a full overhaul. Suspension stiffness has been increased by 15 percent so you can feel every bump like a Monte Carlo rally driver.

Rear-wheel steering joins the party too, letting this nearly three-ton monster carve corners like a proper sports car. Want more noise? Tick the box for the Akrapovič titanium exhaust. Want to make a statement? Go for the exclusive 23-inch wheels. And if you want the world to know you’re not just any Bentayga owner, top it off with a black roof in satin or gloss.

Even the cabin has embraced the darkness. Shadowy tones dominate. Darkened lights, brake calipers in seven colors, and an overall atmosphere that tells you you’ve bought a rolling fortress that knows how to throw its weight sideways.