Bentley has gone electric, an announcement that should be accompanied by a pause, a raised eyebrow and someone quietly asking whether this is really necessary. Fortunately, the Bentley Torcal remains unmistakably a Bentley, just without the explosions under the hood.
Unveiled in London on September 23rd, the Torcal is Bentley’s fourth model line and first fully electric vehicle. Designed, engineered and built in Crewe, its name comes from El Torcal de Antequera, a limestone nature reserve in Andalusia, Spain.
“This is a Bentley first and foremost,” Chairman and CEO Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser said, calling the Torcal a template for future Bentleys regardless of powertrain.
The Bentley Torcal Is Ridiculously Powerful
The numbers suggest that going green hasn’t made Bentley forget how to make something move with considerable enthusiasm. The Bentley Torcal produces 876 horsepower and 999 pound-feet of torque, enough to reach 60 mph in a claimed 2.8 seconds. Its 113-kWh battery operates at 800 volts, allowing this Bentley to travel 375 miles per charge on the WLTP cycle. The EPA’s rating hasn’t been released. Nevertheless, Bentley says the Torcal’s 400-kW charging system can recharge the battery from 10 to 80 percent in just 16 minutes.
As you’d expect, engineers have developed a fully active suspension with adaptive dampers and all-wheel steering to balance comfort and handling. Each damper can be independently adjusted, while the system eliminates the need for conventional anti-roll bars.
Bentley Hasn’t Put Everything on a Touchscreen
Inside, Bentley has apparently noticed that human beings still occasionally enjoy touching things. Physical controls remain on the center console and steering wheel, rather than sending owners on a touchscreen scavenger hunt. Materials include leather, wool, veneer and aluminum, while the standard seats offer 16-way adjustment, heating, ventilation, adjustable bolsters and massage.
Bentley is also embracing sustainability. A new 100-percent Merino wool automotive fabric, developed with British textile maker Fox Brothers, joins the interior palette. There’s also an Ombré Walnut finish made from up to 1,000 individually selected layers of responsibly sourced walnut off-cuts and craft paper. Apparently, even wood scraps need a luxury career path.
The Bentley Still Has A Soundtrack
Then there’s the sound.
Since an electric motor doesn’t exactly deliver the traditional Bentley V8 soundtrack, Bentley turned to musicians. Using drums, viola and bass guitar, they created what Bentley calls the Dynamic Symphony, inspired by the rhythm of its historic V8. The soundtrack changes with vehicle speed and torque demand. It’s an interesting solution for a company whose cars have spent decades sounding expensive, only to suddenly build one that barely makes a peep.
The Upshot
That gets to the point of the Torcal.
Bentley isn’t simply replacing an engine with batteries and calling it progress. It’s trying to carry the brand’s traditional combination of performance, craftsmanship, comfort and sensory appeal into an electric future. The trick is doing that without making the Torcal feel like a very expensive appliance. Nevertheless, Bentley has given it serious power, a sophisticated suspension, handcrafted materials, physical controls and even a soundtrack created by actual musicians.
The electrons may be new, but the Bentley part isn’t going anywhere.
