With 659 hp and 900 Nm of torque, the Bentley Continental GT Speed makes the powder speak. On the way for a test drive, behind the wheel of the most dynamic Bentley of the road.
Test car: Bentley Continental GT Speed
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From€ 270,120
€ 30,000 penalty
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The world of luxury Grand Tourism is the creed of Bentley for over a century. The first marriage to ultimate performance dates back to the late 1920s, embodied by the Speed Six with a three-liter competition engine. The Bentley Boys, very invested in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also enabled it to be victorious there in 1929 and 1930. the Continental GT Coupe, appeared in 2003, was available for the first time in a Speed version in 2007. Then the second generation evolved into Supersports, in 2017. An overpowering model, caricatured and ultimately devoid of interest, at least on a dynamic level.
Here is now the third generation of the Continental GT. Given the trend towards electrification, one would have thought that Bentley would celebrate the mid-career of its bestseller with a plug-in hybrid version, as with the Bentayga SUV. But for this coupe, and while France remains a mini-market for the manufacturer of Crewe (England), it is first of all a question of marking the spirits with mechanical nobility and cheerful road performances, rather than turn to the electricity fairy.
Bentley Continental GT Speed price
This chapter is of course worth discussing, but we are talking here about another automotive world. Even the € 30,000 penalty in force in France has not changed the sales of Bentley, which sells around a hundred cars each year through its five French dealerships. Better still: at the global level, Bentley broke its sales record last year, with more than 11,000 registrations recorded. In the midst of a health crisis, this is a miracle… or insolence.
The GT Speed, whose production will be limited to 500 copies, is offered at € 270,120 excluding penalties. Bentley emphasizes that each copy will be subject to extensive personalization, by customers wishing to have a copy to their liking and if possible unique. Under these conditions, the bill can increase by € 50,000, or even more. Some paints sell for over € 20,000, carbon-ceramic brakes up to € 13,170, and specification packs go for over € 40,000. Another world, we tell you …
Driving
The most striking thing about getting on board is this mixture of modernity and classicism. The GT Speed has two large screens: a large instrument cluster taken from the shelf at Volkswagen and a tactile model in the center of the dashboard, which appears at start-up when the gauges pivot backwards. Technological printing guaranteed for this option at € 4,870. The interior remains equipped with controls that take up space, such as the enormous gear lever or the Commodo dedicated to cruise control. We will also note a large number of buttons whose functionality could have been integrated into a digital tree structure. Would Bentley be afraid of losing its oldest customers? However, you need to have all your reflexes to use this supercharged Speed version.
The large Start button wakes up the 12 cylinders in W. In Comfort or Bentley mode, the noise is not muffled but appears contained. A bit like a trumpeter who puts a mute at the end of his instrument. In Sport mode, the exhausts are released a little, and the eight reports of the box with double clutch pass twice as fast. The gain in sportiness is obvious, the mechanical explosiveness is present, but we are still in the political correctness. On board this kind of car dedicated to performance, we could regret the absence of a “bad boy” mode, which would make the beast even more ferocious. But it should be recognized that Bentley has pushed the slider of chassis technology far enough to serve the dynamism of this large coupe, whose weight is close to 2.5 t.
The 24 hp added to the original 625 hp is anecdotal. Everything else, however, results from a fairly extensive study, aimed at making the driving of a monster of gentleness more communicative, built on the same platform as that of the Porsche Panamera. At full load, window ajar, we are first impressed by the whistling of the two turbos. Even if the car is heavy, the performances are impressive: 3.6 s to go from 0 to 100 km / h, 335 km / h at peak. And as the upholstery accommodates an extra thickness, a bit like the mattresses of large hotels, each acceleration results in the body sinking into the quilted backrest.
The filtration of the three-chamber pneumatic suspensions is also perfect. On the small roads of Sicily, a priori ill-suited to a thunderous test, each turn is a surprise, each acceleration a new adventure. The steering is not a scalpel, but the placement of the front end remains precise and engages with liveliness. The rear follows perfectly, helped by the controlled differential, and the roll is well controlled thanks to the new calibration of the Bentley Dynamic Ride, a 48 V active anti-roll control system. to 1,300 Nm of torque in 0.3 s in order to contain the movements of the body.
It is all so successful that it becomes disturbing. This car is a flying carpet – finally rolling – which moves at the speed of light while skimming the ground. And then, it can do everything: move slowly, totally isolated from the outside, attack winding routes in a relaxed manner or erase the vehicle in front by barely pressing the right pedal. Aboard the GT Speed, you quickly reach a high speed, totally disconnected from reality by this cocoon which protects from the outside world.
Fortunately, the braking is up to the task. On the other hand, the ceramic carbon system is an option … that everyone will take without looking at the price, even if it means spending a little over € 13,000. This device comprises discs with a diameter of 440 mm clamped by ten pistons at the front and six at the rear. Our test model was equipped with it, and it must be admitted that the feeling on the pedal is excellent, the feeling of security very strong, but also that it encourages some excess. Since you’re braking hard and short, why not add a little more? Bentley indicates that during ten violent and consecutive braking carried out from 130 km / h, the extension of the stopping distance is only 1.10 m, or 61.10 m against 60 m. We are not far from perfection.
On board
Competetion
In the automotive world, Bentley’s first historical competitor is Rolls-Royce. First and finally only, no one who managed to sell mid-range cars at such a high price. It may also be because the two British coats of arms are owned by large groups: Volkswagen for Bentley, and BMW for Rolls-Royce. However, the latter does not produce a coupe directly competing with this GT Speed, which remains unique in its kind. We could think of the Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe Series II, which is even bigger, less sporty, with impressive opposing doors and a significantly higher price.
In another style, more sporty, we could also consider the Aston Martin DB11, equipped with a V12 and which is also available as a convertible. A sort of duel at the top, possibly with hair blowing in the wind. But in the world of luxury, each brand wants to remain unique, and that’s what they have managed to do.
Discover the results of the test, the technical sheet and the options on the next page
