Bentley’s Torcal EV tries to balance authenticity with fake V8 sounds

宾利 Torcal 电动汽车试图在真实感与模拟 V8 声浪之间寻找平衡

Thanks to their ability to provide a smooth ride and quiet powertrain with ease, electric vehicles are a true shoo-in for the high-end luxury automotive segment. Rolls-Royce has the Spectre, Cadillac’s Celestiq is taking bespoke to a whole new level, and Mercedes has given the EQS the full Maybach treatment. From Volkswagen Auto Group, Bentley is just about to debut its 2027 Torcal, a spacious SUV that shares a platform with the electrified Porsche Cayenne.

得益于电动汽车能够轻松提供平稳的驾驶体验和安静的动力系统，它们已成为高端豪华汽车市场的必然选择。劳斯莱斯有 Spectre，凯迪拉克的 Celestiq 将定制化提升到了一个全新的高度，而梅赛德斯也为 EQS 提供了完整的迈巴赫级待遇。作为大众汽车集团的一员，宾利即将推出其 2027 款 Torcal，这是一款与电动版保时捷 Cayenne 共享平台的大型 SUV。

I recently got a quick ride in a heavily camouflaged preproduction Torcal as a way to experience it before its official debut toward the end of this month. Between this brute’s spacious interior, supple ride quality, and focus on craftsmanship in the digital age, all signs point to it not just being a viable competitor in the segment, but also characteristically Bentley.

最近，我有幸试乘了一辆经过重度伪装的 Torcal 预生产车型，得以在它本月底正式发布前提前体验。这款“大家伙”拥有宽敞的内部空间、柔韧的乘坐质感，并强调了数字时代的工艺水准，种种迹象表明，它不仅是该细分市场中强有力的竞争者，更具备了宾利标志性的品牌特质。

When I say heavily camouflaged, this not only covers (pun intended) the Torcal’s exterior, but the interior as well. Thick black cloth was draped over most of it, to the point of the engineers punching holes in the cloth for proper seatbelt usage. The exterior was rather deceiving, too; apparently they affixed false body paneling under the wrap so as not to fully spoil its overall shape and profile. Upon first glance, it seemed like Bentley took a page from Lucid’s Gravity by making it wider at the front than at the back—in the name of teardrop-resembling aerodynamics—but Martin Page, the Torcal’s product line director-slash-chauffeur for my ride, assured me that what I was seeing (or rather, trying to see) wouldn’t be production.

我所说的“重度伪装”不仅覆盖了 Torcal 的外观，连内饰也未能幸免。大部分区域都被厚厚的黑布遮盖，工程师甚至不得不为了使用安全带而在布上打孔。外观也极具欺骗性；显然，他们在伪装贴纸下安装了假的车身面板，以免完全泄露其整体形状和轮廓。乍一看，宾利似乎借鉴了 Lucid Gravity 的设计，将前部做得比后部更宽，以实现类似水滴的空气动力学效果。但担任我此次试乘司机兼 Torcal 产品线总监的 Martin Page 向我保证，我所看到的（或者说试图看到的）并非最终量产版的样子。

However, this enabled me to zero in closer on what I could feel and hear. Whether up front or in back, the Torcal is amply spacious, even though it’s noticeably smaller in size and shape than Bentley’s current Bentayga. Page explained the great lengths that engineers reached to ensure it had an isolating and tremendously smooth ride. Running off-the-shelf two-chamber air suspension — common in the rest of the brand’s lineup — would seemingly suffice with an EV’s inherently good chassis balance, but engineers took it a step further by carefully altering the flow of oil through its adaptive dampers. This means that the jump in ride and handling between Comfort and Sport modes is much more discernible. No matter the mode, it rode incredibly smoothly. Heavy focus was paid to the Torcal’s alignment, too, with steering that returns to and maintains center as confidently as possible.

然而，这让我能够更专注于我的感官体验。无论是在前排还是后排，Torcal 的空间都非常充裕，尽管它的尺寸和外形明显比宾利现有的添越（Bentayga）要小。Page 解释说，工程师们为了确保其拥有极佳的隔绝感和极其平稳的乘坐体验，付出了巨大的努力。虽然使用品牌其他车型常见的现成双腔空气悬架，配合电动汽车天生良好的底盘平衡性似乎就足够了，但工程师们更进一步，仔细调整了自适应减震器中的油液流动。这意味着“舒适”模式和“运动”模式在乘坐和操控上的差异更加明显。无论处于哪种模式，它的行驶都极其平稳。Torcal 的四轮定位也受到了高度重视，转向系统能够尽可能自信地回正并保持中心位置。

Diving deeper into signature Bentley characteristics, developing the best simulated engine note was high on the list of priorities. Inspiration came from the brand’s V8-powered Turbo R of the 1980s, except the track itself was recorded by a musician’s drum beat and mixed accordingly, rather than simply churned out from a synthesizer.

深入探讨宾利的标志性特征，开发最佳的模拟引擎声浪是优先级极高的任务。其灵感来源于该品牌 20 世纪 80 年代的 V8 动力 Turbo R 车型，不同之处在于，声轨本身是由音乐家的鼓点录制并经过混音处理的，而不是简单地由合成器生成。

“What we wanted to do throughout the car is maintain craftsmanship, not only in the materials but also in the way we execute the digital aspects,” Page shared.

“我们希望在整车中保持工艺水准，不仅是在材料上，还在于我们执行数字功能的方式，”Page 分享道。

The reasoning behind this lies in hearing subtle imperfections, much like one would from an analogue internal combustion powertrain. Going one step further, the Torcal’s throttle tuning seemed to mimic a torquey V8 with progressive power delivery. In light of this, Page added that with this sound turned on, it gives occupants auditory cues to tie to the vehicle’s torque delivery, which is known to help reduce motion sickness. The sound has not yet been finalized and is still being finely tweaked at the time of this writing.

这样做的原因在于能够听到细微的“瑕疵感”，就像从模拟内燃机动力系统中听到的一样。更进一步的是，Torcal 的油门调校似乎模仿了 V8 发动机那种扭矩充沛且动力输出线性的感觉。鉴于此，Page 补充说，开启这种声浪后，它能为乘客提供与车辆扭矩输出相对应的听觉线索，这被认为有助于减轻晕车感。截至本文撰写时，该声浪尚未最终定型，仍在进行精细调整。

I got a peek at the digital instrument cluster and center infotainment screen — Page had to observe the speed limit, after all. The image these display in the background is of a fine crystal decanter hand-cut by Cumbria Crystal with light shone through it. In Page’s words, this shows the natural refractions and reflections that you get from every one of the cuts. It’s another indication of the brand’s focus on craftsmanship in the digital age, albeit a subtle one.

我瞥了一眼数字仪表盘和中央信息娱乐屏幕——毕竟 Page 必须遵守限速规定。它们背景中显示的图像是一个由 Cumbria Crystal 手工切割的精致水晶醒酒器，光线穿透其中。用 Page 的话来说，这展示了每一个切面所带来的自然折射和反射。这是该品牌在数字时代注重工艺的又一例证，尽管表现得非常含蓄。

It’s also worth pointing out that Bentley takes net environmental impact seriously. “In this car we take sustainability to another level, we have clear targets for circular material and green aluminum,” Page shared. “The door cards are made with a natural fiber — not injection-molded plastic — that’s fully recyclable and fully sustainable.”

同样值得指出的是，宾利非常重视净环境影响。“在这款车上，我们将可持续性提升到了一个新的水平，我们在循环材料和绿色铝材方面有明确的目标，”Page 分享道。“门板采用天然纤维制成，而不是注塑塑料，它是完全可回收且完全可持续的。”

Then, Bentley is working with fellow UK company Fox Brothers to offer a Merino wool interior option, not just as a lesser-taken route for comfort (Volvo’s done well with wool, too) but also as a sturdy, renewable material that will hold up to automotive use. Finally, the assembly plant in Crewe, England, has tough requirements for green energy use (namely solar) and other renewable practices.

此外，宾利正在与英国本土公司 Fox Brothers 合作，提供美利奴羊毛内饰选项。这不仅是一种追求舒适的非传统路径（沃尔沃在羊毛材质的应用上也做得很好），而且作为一种坚固、可再生的材料，它完全能够经受住汽车使用环境的考验。最后，位于英国克鲁（Crewe）的组装工厂对绿色能源使用（主要是太阳能）和其他可再生实践有着严格的要求。

Output, battery, and charging specs are not carved into stone just yet. Power will be north of 800 hp and 700 lb ft of torque, and curb weight is estimated to be nearly 6,000 lbs. Page was quiet about battery size (though, expect it to mirror the Porsche’s 108 net kWh unit), and the targeted range is over 370 miles. With a peak charging rate of 400 kW, the brand is aiming for a 10–80 percent top-up in under 20 minutes, with 100 miles tacking on in as little as seven.

动力输出、电池和充电规格尚未最终敲定。功率将超过 800 马力，扭矩超过 700 磅英尺，整备质量预计接近 6000 磅。Page 对电池容量保持沉默（不过预计会与保时捷的 108 kWh 净容量电池组相当），目标续航里程超过 370 英里。凭借 400 kW 的峰值充电功率，该品牌的目标是在 20 分钟内将电量从 10% 充至 80%，最快仅需 7 分钟即可增加 100 英里的续航。

“We’re trying to be authentic in the whole experience,” Page summed up as we headed back to the parking lot where I met him.

“我们试图在整个体验中保持真实感，”当我们回到我与他见面的停车场时，Page 总结道。

The approach with the Torcal is to make a great Bentley first, and in the process of doing so, a great EV. It combines some already hashed-out tech from Volkswagen, but the brand is hoping its…

Torcal 的开发理念是首先打造一辆出色的宾利，并在此过程中顺带打造一辆出色的电动汽车。它结合了一些大众汽车已经成熟的技术，但该品牌希望其……