This is the Bentley Continental GT Speed, the superlative of the Continental GT W12. The Continental GT Speed enters Bentley’s history books as the brand’s sportiest production car ever. Bathe in luxury, but faster than ever.
Just like the previous generation Continental GT, the current Bentley Continental GT introduced at the end of 2017 will also receive an extra powerful Speed variant. The new Bentley Continental GT Speed is again based on the version with W12, but thunders past that powerhouse effortlessly on all sides.
Bentley delivers the Continental GT with a 550 hp biturbo 4.0 V8, but it is the 535 hp and 900 Nm powerful Continental GT with 6.0 W12 that gets the hands of the horsepower enthusiasts hardest together. The Continental GT Speed must now recognize its superior in this Continental GT Speed, a top version boosted by the men and women in Crewe to 659 hp and 900 Nm. 24 hp extra. The new Bentley Continental GT Speed rushes to a speed of 100 km / h in 3.6 seconds with that bonk primal force. Its top speed: 335 km / h. The regular Continental GT with 6.0 W12 reaches 100 km / h on the digital counters in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 333 km / h. Nice detail: the 6.0 W12 is identical in the GT Speed to that of the limited Bacalar.
Bentley Continental GT Speed
So in a straight line, the Continental GT Speed is hardly faster than the car on which it is based. But sheer speed isn’t all the Speed version is all about. For example, the Continental GT Speed is, according to Bentley’s praise, above all more dynamic. The brand has therefore pulled out a bunch of new technologies for the Continental. The Continental GT has Speed All-Wheel Steering, so four-wheel steering. You should notice a lot of this, especially in Sport driving mode. The system then works in conjunction with an electronic limited slip differential (eLSD). That is also new for the current Continental GT. At lower speeds, the rear wheels steer in the opposite direction to the front wheels for a more direct steering character. At high speed, the rear wheels steer with the front wheels to increase straight-line stability.
Bentley Continental GT Speed
Of course there are more adjustments. Bentley has taken a closer look at the Continental GT’s traction control and the GT Speed’s eight-speed automatic transmission has been tuned differently from that of its less dynamic sister models. In Sport mode, the gearbox switches no less than twice as fast as in the regular Continental GT W12.
In the recalibrated Sport mode, proportionally more torque is sent to the rear axle than in the Bentley and Comfort modes. Also, the stability control (ESC) in Dynamic driving mode is more forgiving than usual. Good news for those who are not a fan of electronic interference: the ESC system can also be switched off. Bentley has added high-performance carbon-ceramic brakes to the options list, a system that also provides a weight saving of 33 kilos over standard brakes.
Bentley Continental GT Speed
Design
From the outside, this extra intense Continental GT Speed can be recognized in good ‘Speed tradition’ by its grille completely finished in black. The bumper work all around has been added in a relatively subtle way and on the front fenders is not only a Speed badge, but also a cooling opening with a ’12’ referring to the number of cylinders. Bentley puts the GT Speed on special 22-inch alloy. The regular Continental GT stands on 21-inch slippers. Illuminated entry guards are also part of the Speed party.
Bentley Continental GT Speed
The interior is covered in two-tone Alcantara down to the smallest nooks and crannies, and Bentley has affixed a Speed badge right in front of the passenger’s nose. Prefer no Alcantara? Don’t worry, Bentley likes to fold beautifully stitched leather into the GT Speed interior. Naturally, you can choose from an arsenal of materials for the finish of the interior, including various types and colors of wood veneer.
The open-work Continental, the Continental GTC, will probably also get a Speed version at a later stage. The nightmare for anyone with a toupee. Whether Bentley, just like the previous generation Continental GT, will ever also carry a fierce Supersport version, remains to be seen.
We do not yet have a Dutch starting price.