The fastest versions of Bentley’s Continentals and Bentaygas to date are adorned with the ‘Speed’ moniker, with this car’s predecessor sporting a highly-tuned version of the firm’s last W12.
This time, a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 reports for duty, with no hybridisation to add weight or spoil the party. Generating 478kW and 850Nm, it eclipses the old W12 model in power but cedes 50Nm. As a result, it can pick up its skirt and sprint across 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds, with a 310km/h top speed if you’re game enough. It now weighs 2466kg, which is 42kg lighter than the old model.
Handling has come in for some major upgrades, with Sport mode now calibrated for sharper steering, 15 per cent stiffer damper settings and a new ‘ESC Dynamic’ mode, which, the carmaker says, yields “exhilirating drift angles or power-on oversteer” when called. This is only available to customers who opt for the carbon ceramic braking package.
Other new features include torque vectoring, launch control and rear-wheel steering, to imbue the British barge with physics-defying agility.
While a sports exhaust is standard, an optional Akrapovic titanium system gives buyers more crispness and aural stimulation.
The 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed is on sale in its home country starting from £219,000 – roughly AU$458,000.
