Bentayga Apex Edition gets lightweight brakes and wheels

Like an Apex predator, the Apex Edition sits at the top of the Bentayga food chain. Its defining feature is its lightweight 22-inch carbon-fibre wheels – kerbing has never been so ruinously expensive – hiding giant carbon ceramic brakes that'll be earning their money by bringing well over two tonnes of SUV to a halt from a 180mph potential VMAX. 

The wheels save 6kg per corner, and while 24kg overall might not sound a lot on a car that weighs more than 2.3 tonnes, crucially, unsprung mass dramatically affects how a car handles. According to Bentley, the wheels have other advantages: they're more resistant to flex than forged alloys (which can give up a degree of camber under load) for more precise steering feel, they're safer – tending to suffer slow punctures rather than explosive blowouts – and they should also offer reduced tyre wear because of their consistent contact patch.

Choosing the Carbon-Silicon-Carbide brakes saves another 20kg overall, providing enormous braking performance even at 1,000-degree temperatures. 

You can choose from six colours, and all Apex Editions have a stripe that extends from the bonnet to the roof.

Options include Candy Red satin paint, with a white stripe and a white interior; Anthracite Paint with a gloss-black livery and a Mandarin interior; Orange Flame paint, with a matching orange stripe and a Linen interior; and Alpine Green paint again with a matching stripe and a Portland and Cumbrian Green interior. 

The last two options are slightly less in-your-face and include Pale Brodgar, with an Anthracite livery stripe and a Linen and Porpoise interior. The final colour will be the most limited of the lot because to qualify to have your Apex Edition finished in Verdant green with a Moonbeam Le Mans style racing stripe and a monochrome colour interior; you must first own a Le Mans Edition Continental GT or GTC.

Based on the Bentayga S, the Apex Edition has a 550PS (405kW), twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, Bentley Dynamic Ride Control, rear-wheel steering and a free-flowing sports exhaust fitted as standard. Bentley adds a slew of options, including carbon-fibre exterior and interior packs, a Naim stereo, Apex Edition seat embroidery, Apex Edition carbon-fibre kick plates, and Apex Edition carbon-fibre exterior badges on the car's D Pillar. 

And the price? Bentley doesn't mention a number, but as the saying goes, if you have to ask, you probably can't afford. Expect it to cost significantly more than the £220,000 Bentayga S Black Edition.