650 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque? Sounds great!
Most automakers are doling out one last hurrah for big-engined, hugely powerful coupes, and Bentley is no exception. Make no mistake, the brand will electrify its offerings in the next decade. Before that, though, they evidently saw fit to eke a bit more speed out of the aptly-named Continental GT Speed.
Granted, it is only a bit, so don’t expect the heavyweight coupe to outpace any supercars. You do still get the hallmark twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 engine. This time, Bentley’s team tuned it up to crank out 650 horsepower. That’s 24 horsepower the old Speed didn’t have, but the 664 lb-ft torque figure remains the same. Top speed for the gentleman’s racer increases slightly to 208 mph, while acceleration time decreases to 3.5 second (a tenth of a second quicker than before).
So, on paper the Bentley Continental GT Speed isn’t that much faster than before. That said, more power isn’t all you’re getting in this package. Rear-wheel steering is now a feature, a first for the long-running coupe model, as is an electronically controlled, torque-vectoring rear differential. Carbon-ceramic brakes are also an option, which not only offer up better stopping power but shave off a helpful 72 pounds (33 kilograms) of weight. Air springs, a Dynamic Ride system, and a much faster-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission ought to make the GT Speed feel even more like a sports car than the old version.
The Bentley Continental GT Speed gets an even more outrageous, red-accented interior (by Bentley standards, at least) with more carbon fiber, microfiber fabric and diamond-quilted seats. Official pricing isn’t available just yet, but don’t expect the GT Speed to leave any change from $275,000. The new model will go on sale later this year.
