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2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed Promises Superlative On-Road Dynamics

A sporty grand tourer with very luxurious appointments and 2+2 seating for both the coupe and soft-topped convertible, the Continental GT is widely considered the best the segment has to offer. Bentley isn’t content with being the best, though, because there’s room for improvement.
2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed 7 photos
Photo: Bentley
Bentley Continental GT Marks 80,000th Production MilestoneBentley Continental GT Marks 80,000th Production MilestoneBentley Continental GT Marks 80,000th Production MilestoneBentley Continental GT Marks 80,000th Production MilestoneBentley Continental GT Marks 80,000th Production MilestoneBentley Continental GT Marks 80,000th Production Milestone
Speed is the suffix applied to the next version of the Conti GT, which will be revealed on March 23rd at 16:00 GMT, according to the British automaker. Dubbed the most dynamic road-going car in the marque’s 101-year history, the finest of details regarding the Continental GT Speed are unknown for the time being. In addition to a teaser photo, the Crewe-based company has also mentioned “highly advanced new chassis technologies."

The Bentayga Speed may offer a few clues in this regard, starting with Bentley Dynamic Ride active roll control technology that utilizes a 48-volt system. Torque vectoring by braking the inside rear wheel on corner entry, carbon-ceramic brakes, air suspension, and 12 cylinders arranged in a W setup are likely as well. Regarding the engine, the twin-turbo W12 in the Bentayga Speed is much obliged to deliver 635 PS (626 horsepower) and 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) of torque from just 1,500 to 5,000 revolutions per minute.

Those figures perfectly mirror the force-fed lump in the Continental GT W12, which means that Bentley probably aims a little higher with the Speed. How high, you ask? The limited-edition Mulliner Bacalar speedster comes to mind because its hand-built engine is rated at 659 PS (650 horsepower).

That said, there is the elephant in the room that Bentley chose to ignore. “The most capable, performance-focused Bentley yet” plays second fiddle to the Supersports from 2017 and 2018, which numbers 710 units.

Tuned to 710 PS (700 horsepower) and 1,017 Nm (750 pound-feet) of torque, the forefather of the Speed needs 3.4 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour). Keep your foot planted to the throttle, and the speedometer will soon indicate 205 miles per hour (330 kph). Oh, and by the way, the Supersports also features motorsport-derived goodies from the Continental GT3-R, once described as the most extreme Bentley ever.
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Editor's note: 2021 Bentley Continental GT pictured in the gallery.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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