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Bentley Bentayga loses four cylinders, gains world's biggest brakes

The famed British marque's most-popular model gains a new V8 engine option.

Kyle Hyatt Former news and features editor
Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).
Kyle Hyatt
2 min read
Bentley

People love the Bentley Bentayga a lot. More than you'd expect, even. It's quickly become the British luxury brand's best-selling vehicle by far. If anything, that trend is poised to accelerate, as Bentley has already announced that a hybrid model is on the way to join the 12-cylinder model. What if you don't want a thirsty, 600+ horsepower twin-turbo 12 or a fancy hybrid? Where is your Goldilocks model? Bentley hasn't forgotten about you, oh middle-of-the-road ultra-rich person, because now the company has revealed it will offer a V8.

The twin-turbocharged V8 that Bentley is putting in the Bentayga sounds like a real peach of an engine. It displaces just 4.0 liters, but thanks to twin hot-vee turbos, it pumps out 542 horsepower and 568 pounds-feet of torque, which means it shouldn't be far off the W12's pace. It's also good for a 0-60 time of just 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 180 miles per hour. 

Bentley Bentayga V8 goes for the sweet spot among ultra-posh SUVs

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Thanks in part to its smaller displacement and cylinder-deactivation tech, this engine is good for 24.8 miles per gallon combined on the UK test cycle (though let's just be honest with and admit that the average Bentayga owner could care less about fuel economy).

Other notable upgrades include optional carbon-ceramic brakes. Not just any carbon-ceramics, they're what Bentley claims are the world's largest (the fronts are 17.3 inches and clamped by ten-piston calipers). Evidently, Bentley's not playing around. 

Like its W12 big brother, the Bentayga V8 is also available with Bentley Dynamic Ride, which the company says is the world's first 48-volt active roll-control system. 

Bentley Bentayga V8 black interior with carbon fiber
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Bentley Bentayga V8 black interior with carbon fiber

You can select carbon fiber instead of wood, but you wouldn't do that, right?

Bentley

Unsurprisingly, the Winged B's SUV is clearly out to kick mud in Land Rover's face, with no fewer than eight drive modes, four for on-road and four for off-road (not that most owners would ever take their eye-wateringly expensive status symbol off-pavement for any reason).

All the other Bentayga goodies are still present and accounted for, including enough leather to make The Gimp get a little giddy. There are some new interior finishes on offer for the V8, too, including a red leather interior known as "Cricket Ball," (no we're not kidding). You can also, if you so choose, replace all of the beautiful wood in your Bentayga with high-gloss carbon fiber. But why would you? That'd be so nouveau riche.

Bentley hasn't provided word on pricing yet, but we expect it to be cheaper than the W12 and less expensive than the forthcoming hybrid. We'll be sure to let you know when we learn more. Ditto for a US on-sale date, although we suspect that if you're interested, you'd better get in line now.