Bentley releases electric Torcal First Edition with 888 hp

The First Edition follows Bentley's practice of bundling high-cost options into a launch model, as it did with the Bentayga and Continental GT, ifanr reported. A front and rear dual-motor setup produces 888 hp and 1,350 Nm of torque. The acceleration figure comes from two high-output electric motors, a contrast with the W12 twin-turbo engines that previously required years of hand-finishing at the Crewe factory.

The car remains visually restrained. It has a carbon-fiber body kit including front bumper vanes, mirror caps, side sills and a rear diffuser, integrated into the body lines rather than styled as aggressive add-ons. It rides on 22-inch two-tone wheels with Bentley's self-leveling center caps, and the brake calipers are finished in Mulliner's Graphene Grey rather than a bright color.

All four doors are power-operated. A variable-color panoramic roof switches between transparent and private modes via an interior control. The cabin uses hand-finished natural leather combined with Dinamica suede, with chevron quilting on the seats; buyers can specify full leather and replace the high-gloss carbon-fiber trim with wood at no extra cost, according to ifanr.

The Naim audio system has 28 speakers and 1,780 watts. Bentley has put speakers in the front headrests and added vibration units in the seats to turn some sound into tactile feedback, with Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 processing.

The Torcal uses Volkswagen Group's PPE platform, which ifanr says is closely related to the electric Cayenne. A 113.3 kWh battery is mounted under the floor, giving a WLTP range of about 600 km. Bentley has fitted its new Bentley Active Ride active suspension and rear-wheel steering, aiming to combine agility with the weight and stability associated with British luxury cars.

The First Edition is expected to cost more than £200,000 in the UK and will be expensive in China, ifanr reported. The article said target buyers are often more concerned with the identity conveyed by the Bentley brand and with a quiet, composed ride than with specifications. It also said electric motors already provide smoothness and silence that were once luxury-car advantages, making it harder for brand and interior materials alone to set ultra-luxury models apart.