Luxury cars have become some of the most technically ambitious listening rooms on the planet.
Genesis offers a 25-speaker Bang & Olufsen 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos system in the GV90. BMW can load the 7 Series with 36 Bowers & Wilkins speakers. Cadillac pushes that figure to 38 with AKG in the Escalade IQ, while Porsche and Burmester are preparing to introduce GaN amplification technology in production vehicles.
Bentley was never going to enter the EV era with a Bluetooth speaker wedged between the front seats.
The new Bentley Torcal, the company’s first fully electric production vehicle and first completely new model line in a decade, offers an optional Naim for Bentley audio system with 28 speakers, 1,780 watts of amplification and a discrete 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos configuration.
It also includes individually configurable sound zones and speakers hidden inside the driver’s headrest that can privately deliver navigation and other vehicle information.
And because 1,780 watts of Naim amplification apparently wasn’t enough audio engineering for one vehicle, Bentley also developed an entirely separate propulsion soundtrack using musicians playing drums, viola and bass guitar.
Electric cars are supposed to be quiet.
Nobody told Crewe.
Related Reading:
Naim Enters Bentley’s Electric Era
Bentley and Naim began working together in 2008, following an 18-month development program that produced the first Naim for Bentley audio system.
Rather than installing essentially the same hardware across different models, Naim tunes each system around the acoustic characteristics of a specific Bentley interior, including speaker placement, signal processing and cabin geometry.
The partnership has produced some rather extravagant results.
The limited-production Bentley Batur received a 20-speaker Naim for Mulliner system developed with assistance from Focal. That installation incorporated M-profile driver technology derived from Focal’s high-end loudspeakers and carried a £25,000 price tag as an option.
The Torcal takes the partnership in a different direction.
Its Naim system has been designed for Bentley’s new electric platform and adds a native 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos layout, giving the system discrete surround and height channels rather than relying entirely on virtual processing.
Dolby Atmos is no longer unusual in luxury vehicles, but implementation matters considerably more than the badge on the dashboard. Twenty-eight mediocre speakers would still be 28 mediocre speakers.
Inside The Naim System
Every Torcal comes standard with Bentley Signature Audio, a 16-speaker system powered by 620 watts of amplification. The optional Naim system increases output to 1,780 watts across 28 speakers and uses a fully active architecture.
Beyond the additional hardware, one of the more interesting features is its ability to create individual sound zones for occupants inside the cabin.
That matters because luxury vehicles are increasingly being designed around passengers who may be listening to different content, taking calls or simply wanting different levels of isolation from everyone else.
Bentley has also integrated speakers directly into the driver’s headrest. Those transducers can contribute to the listening experience, but they can also deliver information such as navigation prompts directly to the driver without interrupting audio for everybody else.
Anyone who has spent several hours listening to GPS instructions bulldoze their way through an album every 90 seconds should understand the appeal.
Standard Torcal models use satin metal speaker grilles, while the performance-focused Torcal S substitutes dark chrome finishes.
Bentley Torcal Naim Audio Specifications:
- Audio System: Naim for Bentley
- Configuration: Fully active
- Speakers: 28
- Total Amplifier Power: 1,780 watts
- Immersive Audio: Dolby Atmos
- Dolby Atmos Layout: 7.1.4
- Sound Zones: Individually configurable
- Driver Headrest Speakers: Yes
- Private Driver Information: Navigation and other vehicle information can be directed to the driver’s headrest
- Speaker Grilles: Satin metal on Torcal; dark chrome on Torcal S
- Standard Audio System: Bentley Signature Audio
- Standard System Output: 620 watts
- Standard Speaker Count: 16
Bentley has not publicly detailed the amplifier topology, individual driver sizes, crossover architecture or materials used throughout the Naim system.
Until it does, we’re not going to fill in the blanks because somebody on a forum thinks they recognize a tweeter.
The Torcal Has Another Sound System
Removing Bentley’s traditional V8 and W12 engines creates another problem for the brand: an electric drivetrain does not sound remotely like the machinery that helped define Bentley for generations.
Bentley could have solved that by synthesizing a fake combustion engine and calling it a day.
It didn’t.
Instead, engineers developed what Bentley calls the Dynamic Symphony.
The process began with recordings and analysis of a Bentley V8, focusing on its rhythm, character and natural variations rather than simply copying the engine note.
Bentley then worked with musicians playing drums, viola and bass guitar to build an original propulsion soundtrack that responds dynamically to acceleration and driver inputs.
That is considerably more interesting than attaching “V8.wav” to the accelerator pedal.
Bentley’s approach is not intended to convince passengers that an internal combustion engine is hiding somewhere under the bodywork. The goal is to recreate some of the emotional feedback and rhythmic qualities of its traditional powertrains using musical performance.
The attention to sound extends to smaller details as well. Bentley has said that recordings involving a leather-working hammer, crystal glass and flute were used in the development of various interface sounds inside the Torcal.
Why Is The Bentley Torcal Naim System Unique?
The headline numbers alone don’t make the Torcal unusual.
Cadillac offers more speakers. BMW isn’t far behind. Genesis already supports 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos, and immersive audio is rapidly becoming expected equipment in expensive vehicles.
What makes the Bentley installation more interesting is how deeply audio has been integrated into the cabin.
The Naim system is not limited to playing music. It can personalize audio for different seating positions and deliver information privately to the driver, while the Dynamic Symphony operates separately as an interactive part of the driving experience.
Bentley also has the benefit of an audio partner that has been developing systems specifically for its vehicles for almost two decades.
That institutional experience matters far more than simply discovering how many drivers can be squeezed into four doors.
Whether the Torcal ultimately sounds better than the best systems from AKG, Bang & Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins or Burmester is something we’ll reserve judgment on until we hear it.
The Bentley Torcal
The Torcal represents a major change for Bentley beyond the audio system.
It is the company’s first fully electric production vehicle, its first new model line in a decade and its fourth contemporary range alongside the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga.
The standard Torcal uses two electric motors producing 809 bhp (821 PS/604 kW) and 1,155 Nm (852 lb-ft) of torque. Bentley claims 0-to-60 mph acceleration in 3.3 seconds and driving range of up to approximately 375 miles (600 km).
The Torcal S increases output to 876 bhp (888 PS/653 kW) and 1,350 Nm (996 lb-ft), reducing the claimed 0-to-60 mph time to 2.8 seconds with Launch Control. Both versions support fast charging that Bentley says can take the battery from 10 to 80 percent in approximately 16 minutes under suitable conditions.
Enough time to listen to most of one side of an LP.
Who Should Consider The Naim System?
Anyone ordering a Torcal who takes music seriously should audition the Naim option before finalizing the specification.
The standard 16-speaker Bentley Signature Audio system already offers considerably more hardware than most factory stereos, so buyers primarily interested in podcasts, talk radio or background music may find it entirely sufficient.
The Naim upgrade makes more sense for listeners using lossless or immersive streaming services, buyers who want genuine Dolby Atmos reproduction and anyone who expects the vehicle to serve as another serious listening environment.
Its personalized sound features also offer practical advantages for households where passengers have very different priorities during a journey.
One rather important detail remains unknown: Bentley has not announced the price of the Naim option.
If you’re already ordering a new Bentley, discovering that the stereo upgrade costs as much as somebody else’s car may not provoke the same reaction it would at a Toyota dealership.
Pricing & Availability
Initial U.S. pricing is listed at $218,000 for Bentley Torcal, while Torcal S will likely start at least $30K higher. Bentley’s U.S. website is accepting purchase inquiries, and the cost for options including the Naim for Bentley system have not yet been announced.
Luxury automotive audio has moved well beyond seeing who can stuff the most speakers into a cabin.
Bentley is now composing the car itself. First customer deliveries are expected during 2027.
For more information: bentleymotors.com
Related Reading:
- Genesis GV90 Packs A 25 Speaker Bang & Olufsen 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos System Into Its Flagship EV
- Dolby Atmos Comes To The BMW 7 Series: Can It Turn Your Commute Into A Rolling Theater?
- Porsche And Burmester Bring GaN Technology To High-End Car Audio For 2027
ORT
October 13, 2026 at 11:59 pm
I like music. A lot. But I also don’t enjoy being distracted by anything while I drive including technology. I have never experienced sour grapes but then I don’t often eat grapes. This audio system is for those with nothing better to spend time on or in this case, in. For those with the financial wherewithal I say, enjoy the fruits of your finances with no hard feelings from me!
ORT