The Bentley Bentayga may have only just been officially unveiled Sept. 9 and premiered Sept. 15, but the first example has already been sold.
The Frankfurt International Auto Show (IAA) saw the world debut of Bentley’s first ever SUV, as a Sept. 15 press release from the manufacturer confirms, and as Bloomberg discovered in an interview with Michael Winkler, Bentley President and CEO for the Americas, that the first example is being delivered to her majesty Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in England’s history.
“The very first one we are happy to deliver to the Queen of England,” stated Winkler in the Sept. 15 video. He explained that she had come to test drive one of the prototypes and enjoyed it so much that the Bentayga will be her new mode of transporT for hunting expeditions on one of her properties in Scotland.
Of course, this isn’t terribly surprising, given the average Bentley consumer.
“Most of our customers own six to eight cars and have one or two SUVs in their garage already,” Winkler also stated later in the interview. And the hope is that this new SUV will replace one or both of those customers’ current cars. With a twin turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 under the hood, it’s hard to believe that it won’t.
Capable of reaching 60 mph from a standstill in 4.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 187 mph, the Bentayga is the fastest SUV ever created, as well as one of the first in the ultra-luxury segment. Power rated at 600 bhp and 663 lb-ft join bespoke luxury and handcrafted features to create an impressive combination of size, speed and refinement.
Photo: James Lipman
In the first year of production, they plan to produce 3,500 examples. Production will then be ramped up to an estimated 5,000 units a year, which will almost double the entire production output of Bentley’s factories.
(See Also: Bentley Bentayga: The Fastest and Most Powerful SUV in the World)
Check out the photos from the Bentayga’s introduction at Frankfurt, where it was joined by the Continental GT Speed Convertible and GT3, then find one of the marque’s sedans for your collection from our exclusive listings below.
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(Source: Bentley, Bloomberg)
