Within the space of 24 hours this summer, on the breezy, care-free Californian coastline, I rode in two Bentleys, made exactly 100 years apart. One was a swashbuckling, open topped, 1926 3-Litre ‘Super Sport’ that sounded like a Spitfire and the other was the brand new electric Bentley Torcal, that sounded, er, almost silent. Talk about contrast…

The all-electric Torcal starts from £173,300

But there’s few experiences that better illustrate how much has changed in the car industry over the past century. Bentley is one of a handful of companies that has managed to successfully navigate the social, political and economic storms of the past 100 years and, as a reward, it finds itself grappling with one of the biggest questions posed to current carmakers: how do you transition to electric?  

Its answer comes in the form of the £173,300 all-electric Torcal. A mid-sized SUV that shares its underpinnings with the electric Porsche Cayenne, that will go head-to-head with the similarly priced Jaguar Type 01, which is due to follow very soon.

The Torcal interior features merino wool woven by Fox Brothers in Somerset.

The Torcal is more expensive than the Porsche Cayenne but cheaper than it’s big Bentayga brother, so what you’re looking at is the new gateway into the Bentley brand. That’s an important detail, not least because Bentley is currently on a crusade to change its image and appeal to new audiences. The Torcal will be one of their main tools in this campaign and will be aiming to win over those looking for the next foothold on the luxury car ladder.

The looks are divisive. A bold, upright front end with an illuminated ‘diamond’ grille that might just be visible from space and a strong shoulder line that melts into a curved haunch over the rear wheels. It is a departure from the Bentley design language that we’ve come to know and love but for those that remember the EXP 15 concept car that broke cover at California’s car week last year, some features will be familiar. Just don’t say it looks a little like a mini Rolls-Royce Cullinan from some angles.

More expensive than the electric Porsche Cayenne, cheaper than it’s big Bentayga brother. The Torcal is the new gateway into the Bentley brand.

When it comes to the Top Trumps stats, the Torcal won’t disappoint. The S First Edition (£199,300) packs 876bhp, backed by 1,350Nm or torque and a 0-62mph time of 2.8 seconds. It is the most powerful Bentley in the 107-year history of the company but Martin Page, the Torcal's product line director, is notably cool about those figures. "We're not chasing the four-figure horsepower. It was a really conscious decision," he said during our ride in Monterey this summer. "Bentley stands for effortless progression, sufficient power."

Ferrari sailed past a thousand horsepower with its controversial Luce but Bentley stopped deliberately short of it, and spent the effort on how the power arrives rather than how much of it there is. Accompanying the power is a ‘V8’ soundtrack which came from recording percussion artists mimicking the sound of the Bentley Continental R’s V8. It’s novel but it works. A welcome change from the spaceship sounds made by some of its competitors. 

On a more practical note, Bentley has spent the past century carving out a name for making effortless grand tourers, so there’s an expectation that the Torcal can, quite literally, go the distance when required. Bentley quotes 375 miles, and a 400kW charger takes the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in under 20 minutes. "Range is an interesting topic in the industry,” says Page. “It is heavily perception focused," he says. "Even at 600 kilometres, there's not many people that do 600 kilometres in a week."

375 miles, and a 400kW charger takes the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in under 20 minutes.

In line with its reputation for fast and comfortable grand tourers, Bentley have stepped up the interior game, using old favourites like leather, wood veneer and aluminium, and, for the first time on a production car, merino wool woven by Fox Brothers in Somerset. Cue the requests for matching merino polo shirts.

Despite the century between them, the Super Sport and the Torcal might have more in common than you’d first think. Both broke new ground for the marque, were absurdly quick for their day, and both make an occasion out of getting somewhere. One just does it without waking in neighbouring counties.

Bentley

Bentley Torcal

£199,300.00

Buy Now - £199,300.00

@roryfhsmith