2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed Offers Powerful V8 & Sporty Styling

2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed Summary Points

The 2026 Bentayga Speed is Bentley’s newest flagship luxury SUV. It replaces the Bentayga S in the lineup and is the most potent Bentayga yet.

It’s also the sharpest-handling Bentayga to leave Crewe, thanks to a new and optimized Sport mode.

Precision Diamond interior quilting and custom badging are among the highlights of the Bentayga Speed’s “performance-focused” cabin.

Reconfigured Twin-Turbo V8

Nestling under the new Bentayga Speed’s considerable bonnet is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that receives a strong power hike versus the previous Bentayga S. The 4.0-liter V8 now produces 641 horsepower and 627 lb-ft. of torque, making it more potent than the 4.0-liter V8 of the now defunct Bentayga S and any previous W12-powered Bentayga Speed.

With the monster V8 churning out peak torque between 2,250 and 4,500 rpm, the 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed is quicker from zero to 60 mph than any Bentayga before it, surpassing the mark in 3.4 seconds.

For context, the W12 Bentayga Speed reaches 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, while the V8-powered Bentayga S takes 4.5 seconds. Bentley ain’t messing around when it called the 2026 Bentayga Speed its new performance flagship and the most potent ever to wear the Speed badge.

Power goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. The top speed is 193 mph when fitted with the optional carbon ceramic brakes.

Optional Akrapovic Exhaust

The standard pipes feature a Bentley Sport exhaust system, highlighted by two elliptical exhaust tips that peek through the rear diffuser. Bentley said to expect a “rich, powerful engine note” when burying the throttle.

A louder yet more purposeful option is the Akrapovic titanium exhaust system with quad tailpipes that accentuates the “power, drama, and potency of the V8 engine.”

Giving the Bentayga Speed something like an Akrapovic exhaust system is perhaps proof of Bentley’s genuine intent to add a touch of humor to a vehicle that would otherwise be known for its stoic and aristocratic demeanor.

Sport Mode Cranked to Eleven!

Bentley retained the Comfort and Bentley driving modes for the newest Bentayga Speed, ensuring it won’t deviate from its primary mission: arrive in utmost comfort and opulence.

However, Bentley engineers made sure this latest model was the sharpest-handling Bentayga to leave Crewe. A new and optimized Sport mode blesses the Bentayga Speed with the athletic reflexes of a sport-touring car. The new Sport mode sharpens the steering, stiffens the suspension damping by 15 percent, and optimizes torque vectoring for enhanced “turn-in” cornering performance.

ESC Dynamic & Launch Control

The optional carbon ceramic brake package includes what Bentley calls “ESC Dynamic in Sport mode.” This setting “relaxes” electronic stability control intervention when entering a corner, enabling the driver to execute power-on oversteer in “exhilarating drift angles” via torque vectoring by brake, Bentley said.

ESC Dynamic includes launch control, the first of its kind for any Bentayga. Enhancing overall on-road engagement is all-wheel steering, which moves the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the front wheels at low speeds but turns the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels at higher speeds.

Exterior Design Enhancements

The 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed features dark-tinted or silver 22-inch wheels, darkened brightware, chrome Speed badging, gray taillamps, and smoked headlights. Buyers can choose from seven colors for the brake calipers.

Larger 23-inch Speed wheels, available in gray, black, or a bright machine finish, are optional with the carbon ceramic brake package. Exclusive to the Bentayga Speed is a satin or glossy black roof.

Luxurious Yet Sporty Cabin

The sporty GT driving feel is part of the Bentley DNA, but nobody does “luxury” and “sport” as well as the British automaker in cabin accouterments. The Bentayga Speed receives a unique digital instrument screen, embroidered Speed emblems on the seat uppers, and customary Speed badging.

Meanwhile, the door inners, seat shoulder panels, and the backboard (four-seat models) have Precision diamond quilting, which complements the plush upholstery.

2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed Starting MSRP

Big money would typically accompany a premium luxury SUV, so what more if the SUV in question is the most potent and dynamic Bentley Bentayga? Expect the starting MSRP to linger in the $275,000 to $285,000 range.

At some point, it would be interesting to see an updated version of the Bentayga Speed Space Edition. That’s something to add to the wish list!

Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.