BENTLEY has revealed details of its new Continental GT Speed – and claims it is the most dynamic road car in its 101-year history.
The iconic British marque also says that, despite being the “ultimate performance-focussed” version of the four-seater Grand Tourer, there has been no compromise on luxury.
Under the bonnet, there is an uprated version of the W12 6.0-litre engine delivering 659PS – an increase of 24PS – while maintaining 900Nm of torque. This cuts the 0-60mph time by 0.1 to 3.5 seconds and gives the car a top speed of 208mph.
And stick the Speed in the sport driving mode and the dual-clutch, eight-speed transmission shift is twice as fast as in the standard W12 model.
Perhaps more importantly, a lot of work has been carried out on the chassis to enhance the vehicle’s agility and stability. So the car comes with new electronic all-wheel steering and rear limited-slip differential and tweaked active all-wheel drive.
It also benefits from variable ESC and Bentley’s three-chamber air suspension and 48V active anti-roll system. Newly engineered carbon ceramic brakes for incredible stopping power are also an option for the special silver 22in alloys.
Subtle changes to the bodywork emphasise its muscularity, with dark grilles at the front, more pronounced sports sills and discreet badging on the front wings.
Inside, buyers will find lashings of quilted leather and Alcantara, creating a two-tone finish, as well as the acclaimed rotating central display – and they will be offered loads of options for colours and veneers.
Bentley engineering boss Dr Matthias Rabe said: “The world’s most luxurious Grand Tourer is now truly more capable than ever before, with a new sportier edge that will appeal to performance-focussed drivers.”
