Bentley burst onto the motoring scene in the 1920s as a performance marque. Under the
famed Bentley Boys they dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the ne plus ultra of endurance racing – for an
incredulous four years in a row. Better still, the Boys would drive their cars to France, race them at Le Mans, and
then drive them back to England. Well built, bespoke, expensive and fast, Bentley became a synonym for the playboy
lifestyle of the English elite.Then came the sale of Bentley to Rolls-Royce
in the 1930s followed by decades of boringness. Luxurious? Sure. But nearly indistinguishable from its Rolls-Royce
siblings and mostly stripped of its sporty DNA. Around the turn of the millennium Bentley was bought by Volkswagen –
a surprising acquisition for the “People’s Car” company but a move that would prove supremely transformative for
Bentley, perhaps largely due to the nearly $2-billion investment it received. The makeover included state-of-the-art
production facilities, engineering and, best of all, a strategy that put performance back at the forefront. The
brand even returned to Le Mans after a 70-year absence and, in 2003, won. Harkening back to its roots, Bentley was
once again high-performance.
Suspicious of trends and dubious of another ‘luxury’ SUV, I took the keys of the
Bentley Bentayga. The interior was extraordinary: quilted leather from floor to ceiling, burl walnut, chrome
accents, climate controlled seats and consoles, sky roof, 3-setting massagers in the rear seats, passenger foot
rests, every comfort and amenity imaginable. “Surely, though, a car that’s this focused on luxuriating can’t
possibly have proportionate performance,” I reasoned. That was my second mistake.On the road the Bentayga felt solid and sure, like a 4x4 should. And weighing in at over two-and-a-half tons,
it’s heavy. Equipped with a W12 motor supplying 600 horsepower, it’s also very powerful and soon I would learn why
the low profile I once mocked is not just necessary but inspired.
On the highway the twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine controlled by optional-use
paddle shifters hurled the Bentayga to an instantaneous and effortless triple-digit speed. Within seconds the
speedometer read 150mph (241kmh) and cornering through the mountains felt not unlike driving a Continental
GT.Off-road, where I felt the Bentayga had the most to prove, was just as
impressive. Four on-the-fly driving modes and a height-adjustable suspension gave supreme control over the
conditions, which in my case was dirt, rock, mud, slush and snow – even crossing over a large aspen that had fallen
across the trail. Traversing terrain and obstacles at elevations up to 11,000 feet (3350 meters) felt simply
invincible.
By the end of two days in the Rockies it became evident that this automobile was the
best of both worlds and I had become a believer. Typically, ‘multi-purpose’ means something is decent at many things
but never adept at any one thing. This is what’s so unique – no, radical – about this vehicle. In creating the
Bentayga, Bentley seized upon the ‘sport’ in Sport Utility Vehicle and perfected it. With high performance on road
and off, wrapped in a lavish package, it’s unlike any other automobile and warrants the superlatives.
Of course, 99% of all Bentayga owners will probably never use it to its full
capability but as a friend of mine remarked, “It’s not that you would, but that you could.”
Follow the photographer on Instagram at @sinuhexavier.
