Bentley has debuted its new Continental GT Speed, the latest iteration of grand tourer flagship, now billed as being the ‘most powerful Bentley ever created’. That extra whack comes from the integration of the company’s new Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain, taking the total power output on this fourth generation model to 782 PS.
Bentley Continental GT Speed
The hybrid system has been co-developed with the engineering might of parent company Volkswagen, which has already deployed this high performance hybrid system in the latest Porsche Panamera e-hybrid. In the Continental GT Speed, it offers a vast breadth of ability, from 50 miles of pure electric range to a top speed of 208 mph.
Bentley Continental GT Speed interior
This is the fourth generation of the car that transformed Bentley from an inhabitant of a luxury backwater into one of the world’s preeminent brands. Arriving in 2002, the GT was the first fruit of new ownership and new investment. Instantly successful, it was overhauled in 2010 and the substantially updated and upgraded in 2018 on an al-new platform.
This fourth generation car showcases a clear stylistic crossover with the strictly limited-edition Bentley Batur, particularly in the new headlights, which eschew the double lamp set-up that has been part of the Conti GT’s face since its inception.
The Bentley Continental GT Speed's new headlights reference the Bentley Batur
On-board technology goes beyond the hybrid system and will include four-wheel steering, four-wheel drive, active anti-roll control and a new damping system. In the past, this emphasis on tech has given the big Bentley coupé a formidable dynamic capability that belies its size.
Bespoke luggage is a classic Bentley option
Inside and out, the focus on bespoke finishes, colours and materials will continue much as before. Bentley has made great strides in the discovery and refinement of more sustainably sourced materials, from driftwood to textured surfaces, and you can expect the fourth generation GT to deliver even more on this front. The company has chosen to unveil both GT and GTC convertible at the same time, with the latter set to be one of the swiftest four-seater convertibles ever made.
The droptop Bentley Continental GTC Speed
The droptop Bentley Continental GTC Speed
We’ll be delivering a full drive report on both variants of the new Continental GT in due course.
Bentley Continental GT Speed, price tbc, BentleyMotors.com, @BentleyMotors
Bentley Continental GTC Speed
The fourth generation Bentley Continental GT Speed
-
Perfumer H collaborates with Michael Ruh on a bottle that captures the ‘mesmerising qualities of molten glass’Perfumer H’s Lyn Harris and glassblower Michael Ruh unite to create a fragrance bottle that celebrates an uncompromising dedication to craft
-
Tuck into Ruinart and Silo’s new zero-waste supper series in LondonThe Ruinart x Silo: Savoir (Re)Faire Supper Series sees the champagne house partner with the zero-waste restaurant, and centres on the new Ruinart Blanc Singulier cuvée
-
Bugatti Tourbillon, an analogue hypercar that keeps its digital powder dry, 2024-styleIn a world awash with landfill product, cars like the new Bugatti Tourbillon are extremely unlikely to add to the problem
-
Zoute Grand Prix is a car fest like no other at a pristine Belgian beachside townAmy Serafin takes to the well-heeled streets of Knokke-Heist to experience the Zoute Grand Prix, its annual cavalcade of classic car-related events, from a rally to an auction
-
Bentley goes big with an extended, Mulliner-trimmed version of its Bentayga SUVThe Bentley Bentayga EWB Mulliner is the luxury manufacturer’s new flagship, a high-riding limousine that marks a sea-change in how we perceive the very best of an automotive brand
-
Bentley Blower Jr shrinks and electrifies the stately form of a racing classicThe Little Car Company’s latest project takes an interwar icon and transforms it into an electric city car for the modern rake
-
Bentley’s Mulliner division enters a purple patch with the BaturJust 18 examples of the new Bentley Batur will be built for customers, designed as the ultimate platform for creative specifications and a showcase for in-car craft and design
-
Flexjet takes to the skies with BentleyFlexjet brings exclusive Bentley interiors to its new Gulfstream G650 jet and Sikorsky S-76 helicopter, in the smoothest of transfers
-
Bentley’s Continental GT Speed reaches giddy new heightsAll beauty, artistry and vigour, the Bentley Continental GT Speed is the marque’s most powerful car yet but, a classic grand tourer, just as suited to easy cruising on a scenic Sicilian trip
-
Classic car revivals: everything old is new againHere, we round up a few firms who are committed to dishing up revived classics from their past
-
How Bentley has shifted gears during the pandemicMidway through its centenary year, we catch up with Bentley, spotlighting the new Bentayga, and the new Continental GT
