Bentley’s first electric car will replace the roar of a large-capacity combustion engine with an orchestral soundtrack that uses musical instruments to mimic the character of a V8.
Rather than synthesise an engine noise like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N or amplify the actual sound of its EV motors like the Ferrari Luce, the new Torcal SUV takes an entirely different approach to fill the silence of an electric powertrain.
Bentley took inspiration from the “incredible engines” in its back catalogue – including the very early supercharged motors of the 1930s, the long-serving 6.75-litre V8 and the more recent W12 – as it worked to create a distinctive ‘engine note’ for the Torcal.
The priority, said Bentley, was to ensure its debut EV provided the same “immersive and emotional experience” under acceleration as its petrol-powered forebears – an experience it likens to “listening to a grand orchestral performance”.
To that end, Bentley put a V8 engine in a studio and analysed its aural characteristics, determining that “rhythm, rather than pure mechanical tone, was central to its emotional appeal”. Comparing the V8 with a live drummer, it said, “revealed striking similarities in energy, cadence and impact”.
Another finding was that a combustion engine soundtrack is “not perfectly uniform” but rather contains subtle variations and imperfections that “introduce a distinctly human quality”.
The end result is the ‘Bentley Dynamic Symphony’ (listen below), which “is not designed to replicate an engine but to evoke the same feelings”.
Primarily using drums to replicate the thump and thrum of a V8 engine, the Torcal’s soundtrack will also feature viola and bass guitar to create a “powerful and emotive” feeling on the move.
Bentley said it will respond to driver inputs too, suggesting the tempo will increase under acceleration and vice versa.
The Torcal, which is in the final stages of testing ahead of its unveiling on 23 September in London, will effectively be a production-ready interpretation of the EXP 15 concept that Bentley revealed last year as a showcase of its new-era design language.
Like the Bentayga, Bacalar and Batur, the Torcal is named after a natural landmark, in this case El Torcal de Antequera, a limestone rock landscape in Andalusia, Spain. The moniker is also a nod to the Latin verb ‘torquere’, which means to twist and is the origin of the word ‘torque’.
The 5m-long SUV will sit below the Bentayga in Bentley’s line-up. Defining features that were previewed on the earlier show car include a striking illuminated grille panel, new-look vertical LED quad headlights and – as the first official preview image reveals – the so-called “prestigious shield” at the rear, which is modelled on the luggage carriers fitted to vintage Bentley tourers.
While it’s similar in silhouette to Bentley’s existing SUV and not significantly smaller, the Torcal is wholly distinct in its design. It is not intended as a replacement for the V8-powered Bentayga, which will remain on sale and gain a new combustion-powered generation in 2028, in line with Bentley’s strategy of offering a multi-powertrain offering globally.