Bentley previously said it needed more Bentayga derivatives to keep the luxury SUV the newest kid on the block. Now, it appears more are coming, and one will be a performance-oriented Bentayga Speed model.
Speaking with Autocar in a Wednesday report, Bentley design boss Stefan Sielaff confirmed a Bentayga Speed is in the pipeline. We should see typical cues from the Speed treatment, including tweaked exterior design, racier colors, more power, and a reworked cockpit.
Sielaff noted the Bentayga speed will absolutely be a "big change" over the current SUV's design and said the model's twin-turbo W-12 engine could indeed be in for a power bump. Right now, the massive engine makes 600 horsepower, but the previous 2017 Continental GT Speed, which also employed the W-12, managed 633 hp. It should be noted that Bentley has a new generation of the W-12 for its 2019 Continental GT. That engine makes 626 horsepower and has room to grow.
Previously, Bentley was said to be mulling a GT3 R version of the SUV, which would take a page from the Continental GT3 R. But, the previous Continental GT3 R used a 4.0-liter V-8 to make 572 horsepower. The Bentayga also offers a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine, and it currently makes 550 hp. Perhaps there's still potential for a GT3 R in the future, but the idea of a GT3 R SUV with the Bentayga's massive looks and weight doesn't make a lot of sense.
Bentley has already taken the Bentayga down a more luxurious road with the Mulliner variant. The ultra-posh SUV adds numerous extra touches such as hand-stitched leather, contrasting-color seats, a chilling cabinet with champagne flutes, two-please rear seats, a 1,950-watt Naim audio system, and oodles of customization options.
Thus far, the Bentayga has proven a massive success for the brand. High demand has led the Bentley to mull greater production numbers, and the SUV will likely help finance another new Bentley: an electric sports car.