Bentley has taken the covers off its first-ever fully electric car, the Torcal, making it the automaker's fourth model line, joining the Continental GT, the Flying Spur sedan, and the Bentayga SUV. The luxury brand is confident about the launch, too, with Bentley chairman and CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser saying he believes “this is one of the best Bentleys ever.”
When WIRED first reported on the car in July, we said the EV would have more than 300 miles of range. Well, turns out it has considerably more: up to 375 miles (on the WLTP cycle, maybe 330 miles on EPA), and can charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 16 minutes at 400 kilowatts.
Prodigious performance from a motor on each axle sees the five-seat Torcal—smaller than the Bentayga and so perhaps more of an urban SUV—get 888 metric horsepower (PS) and 1,350 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque in the sporting S models, resulting in 0 to 60 mph in as little as 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 162 mph. The “core" model drops to 821 PS and 1,194 Nm, with standstill to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and a max of 155 mph.
However, luxury brands get worried about their existing client bases when they switch to electric vehicles — look to Ferrari as a prime example—so it's no surprise that Bentley is keen to point out how this new model embodies the finest elements of the brand, just like every other high-end marque does going into electrification.
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