Bentley has built a Bentayga ‘Octa’

Bentley has revealed the Bentayga X Concept at the FAT Ice Race event in St Moritz, the jacked up SUV a taster of potential things to come from Crewe with its SUV as it looks to introduce a more extreme off-roader to complement the  performance and luxury focus it has delivered to date.  

Based on the 641bhp Bentayga Speed, the X Concept is a Bentley alternative to Land Rover’s Defender Octa and “explores the potential of a more focussed off-road Bentley.” We won’t be surprised, and neither should you, if a production Bentayga X arrives later this year followed by an announcement that Bentley is going to take on the Dakar. 

While the Speed’s 4-litre twin-turbo V8 and eight-speed gearbox and four-wheel driver remain unchanged in the X Concept, as does the Bentley Active Ride System, the car’s underbelly has been given a considerable uplift. Ride height increases by 55mm, ground clearance to just under 310mm and the track has been widened by 120mm requiring an additional 40mm to be added to the width of the wheel arches. 

22-inch single-piece forged wheels have been created by specialist Brixton and they are fitted with large aspect ratio 285/55x22 off-road Renegade X tyres. And the roof lights are attached to a frame to allow the safe carry of a Bambino go-kart, as raced in the FAT Karting League, which Bentley has become a partner of.

Also making its public debut in St Moritz will be Bentley’s new Continental GT S and GTC S models, the latest Speed-Six continuation car and Travis Pastrana’s ‘Full Send’ Continental GT Supersport.