Bentley Unveils First Electric Car With a Drum-Powered Soundtrack

Bentley has unveiled its first fully electric vehicle, the Torcal, marking a major step in the British luxury automaker’s move into electric vehicles.

The new electric SUV combines a twin-motor powertrain with Bentley’s traditional focus on luxury and performance. The standard Torcal produces 809 horsepower and 1,155 Nm of torque, can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and offers a claimed range of up to 375 miles (600 km).

Bentley has also come up with an unusual way to give the silent electric vehicle an emotional soundtrack.

Instead of simply adding a synthetic engine roar, the company worked with musicians to create a sound based on the rhythms and character of its historic combustion engines. The soundtrack incorporates real drums, viola and bass guitar, with the sound changing in response to the driver’s inputs.

And the sound is not restricted to the cabin. The Torcal features a rear-mounted external speaker that allows people outside the vehicle to hear the distinctive soundtrack. Bentley says the system is designed to evoke the emotional character of its famous V8 engines rather than directly imitate them.

The approach is part of Bentley’s attempt to preserve some of the sensory experience associated with its petrol-powered cars as the company moves toward electric propulsion.

The Torcal is available in two versions, including the performance-focused Torcal S. The latter produces up to 876 horsepower and 1,350 Nm of torque, making it the most powerful production Bentley to date, according to the company. It can reach 60 mph in 2.8 seconds with launch control.

The Torcal is expected to go on sale in the United States as a 2028 model, with deliveries scheduled for early 2027. Bentley has not yet announced final U.S. pricing, but the company says the vehicle will cost less than the Bentayga, which currently starts at around $230,000.

The launch represents Bentley’s first major step into fully electric production. The company says the Torcal will be the first in a series of electric Bentley models as it continues its broader electrification strategy.

For a brand known for the sound and character of large-capacity engines, Bentley’s solution is certainly unconventional: its first EV may have no combustion engine, but it will still have a soundtrack built around the rhythm of one.