diff --git a/tests/extmod/machine_spi_rate.py b/tests/extmod/machine_spi_rate.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..df9e3fbd0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/extmod/machine_spi_rate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+# Test machine.SPI data transfer rates
+import sys
+
+
+try:
+    import time
+    from machine import Pin, SPI
+except ImportError:
+    print("SKIP")
+    raise SystemExit
+
+MAX_DELTA_MS = 8
+
+# Configure pins based on the port/board details.
+# Values are tuples of (spi_id, sck, mosi, miso)
+if "pyboard" in sys.platform:
+    spi_instances = (
+        (1, None, None, None),  # "explicit choice of sck/mosi/miso is not implemented"
+        (2, None, None, None),
+    )
+elif "rp2" in sys.platform:
+    spi_instances = ((0, Pin(18), Pin(19), Pin(16)),)
+elif "esp32" in sys.platform:
+    spi_instances = [
+        (1, Pin(18), Pin(19), Pin(21)),
+    ]
+    if "ESP32C3" not in str(sys.implementation):
+        spi_instances.append((2, Pin(18), Pin(19), Pin(21)))
+else:
+    print("Please add support for this test on this platform.")
+    raise SystemExit
+
+
+def get_real_baudrate(spi):
+    # Return the 'real' baudrate for a SPI object, from parsing 'print' output
+    # i.e.
+    # SPI(id=1, baudrate=500000, polarity=0, phase=0, bits=8, firstbit=0, sck=14, mosi=13, miso=12)
+    #
+    # Note the 'real' rate may be quite different to the requested rate, i.e.
+    # on ports where the SPI hardware only supports power of 2 clock dividers.
+    #
+    # Implementation is somewhat fiddly and inefficient to avoid dependency on
+    # 're' module,
+    s = str(spi)
+    s = s.split("baudrate=")[1].split(",")[0]
+    return int(s)
+
+
+def test_instances():
+    print_results = True
+    for spi_id, sck, mosi, miso in spi_instances:
+        for baudrate in (
+            100_000,
+            250_000,
+            800_000,
+            1_000_000,
+            2_000_000,
+            4_000_000,
+            8_000_000,
+        ):
+            test_spi(
+                spi_id,
+                sck,
+                mosi,
+                miso,
+                baudrate,
+                0,
+                0,
+                print_results,
+            )
+
+        for baudrate in (100_000, 4_000_000):
+            # Test the other polarity and phase settings
+            for polarity, phase in ((0, 1), (1, 0), (1, 1)):
+                test_spi(
+                    spi_id,
+                    sck,
+                    mosi,
+                    miso,
+                    baudrate,
+                    polarity,
+                    phase,
+                    print_results,
+                )
+
+        # Ensure the same test output regardless of how many SPI instances are tested
+        print_results = False
+
+
+wr_short = b"abcdefghijklmnop" * 10
+rd_short = bytearray(len(wr_short))
+
+wr_long = wr_short * 20
+rd_long = bytearray(len(wr_long))
+
+
+def test_spi(spi_id, sck, mosi, miso, baudrate, polarity, phase, print_results):
+    if sck:
+        s = SPI(
+            spi_id,
+            sck=sck,
+            mosi=mosi,
+            miso=miso,
+            baudrate=baudrate,
+            polarity=polarity,
+            phase=phase,
+        )
+    else:
+        s = SPI(spi_id, baudrate=baudrate, polarity=polarity, phase=phase)
+
+    # to keep the test runtime down, use shorter buffer for lower baud rate
+    wr_buf = wr_long if baudrate > 500_000 else wr_short
+    rd_buf = rd_long if baudrate > 500_000 else rd_short
+
+    real_baudrate = get_real_baudrate(s)
+    assert real_baudrate
+    transfer_time_ms = len(wr_buf) * 8 * 1000 // real_baudrate
+
+    def test_write_readinto():
+        s.write_readinto(wr_buf, rd_buf)
+
+    def test_write():
+        s.write(wr_buf)
+
+    def test_readinto():
+        s.readinto(rd_buf)
+
+    for test_func, name in (
+        (test_write_readinto, "write_readinto"),
+        (test_write, "write"),
+        (test_readinto, "readinto"),
+    ):
+        t0 = time.ticks_ms()
+        test_func()
+        transfer_time = time.ticks_diff(time.ticks_ms(), t0)
+        t_delta = abs(transfer_time - transfer_time_ms)
+        t_ok = t_delta < MAX_DELTA_MS
+
+        if print_results or not t_ok:
+            print(
+                None if print_results else spi_id,
+                baudrate,
+                polarity,
+                phase,
+                name,
+                t_ok or t_delta,
+            )
+
+    s.deinit()
+
+
+test_instances()
diff --git a/tests/extmod/machine_spi_rate.py.exp b/tests/extmod/machine_spi_rate.py.exp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6102016154
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/extmod/machine_spi_rate.py.exp
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+None 100000 0 0 write_readinto True
+None 100000 0 0 write True
+None 100000 0 0 readinto True
+None 250000 0 0 write_readinto True
+None 250000 0 0 write True
+None 250000 0 0 readinto True
+None 800000 0 0 write_readinto True
+None 800000 0 0 write True
+None 800000 0 0 readinto True
+None 1000000 0 0 write_readinto True
+None 1000000 0 0 write True
+None 1000000 0 0 readinto True
+None 2000000 0 0 write_readinto True
+None 2000000 0 0 write True
+None 2000000 0 0 readinto True
+None 4000000 0 0 write_readinto True
+None 4000000 0 0 write True
+None 4000000 0 0 readinto True
+None 8000000 0 0 write_readinto True
+None 8000000 0 0 write True
+None 8000000 0 0 readinto True
+None 100000 0 1 write_readinto True
+None 100000 0 1 write True
+None 100000 0 1 readinto True
+None 100000 1 0 write_readinto True
+None 100000 1 0 write True
+None 100000 1 0 readinto True
+None 100000 1 1 write_readinto True
+None 100000 1 1 write True
+None 100000 1 1 readinto True
+None 4000000 0 1 write_readinto True
+None 4000000 0 1 write True
+None 4000000 0 1 readinto True
+None 4000000 1 0 write_readinto True
+None 4000000 1 0 write True
+None 4000000 1 0 readinto True
+None 4000000 1 1 write_readinto True
+None 4000000 1 1 write True
+None 4000000 1 1 readinto True