Bentley Continental GT Speed Hits 206 MPH in Australian Outback: Extreme Numbers

That is precisely what a Bentley Continental GT Speed has recently achieved, with the British carmaker taking its flagship coupe to the Land Down Under to showcase the grand tourer’s abilities.

The machine, whose twin-turbo W12 delivers 635 hp and 607 lb-ft (820 Nm) of twist, was manhandled by John Bowe. For those of you who are not following the motorsport scene, Bowe is a six-time Australian touring car and two-time Bathurst 1,000 champion. To put it shortly, the man has been in the speeding business for about four decades now.

Bentley was kind enough to provide a rather interesting set of figures that show what happens when a 5,200 lbs (2,350 kg) car goes flat out.

For instance, a Conti GT Speed doing 206 MPH sees 216 liters of coolant flowing through its W12 per minute, while more than 4,700 liters of air are drawn over its radiator each second. The Flying B machine uses 80 percent of its horsepower to overcome drag alone.

The shenanigan took place on the Stuart Highway, which runs 1,761 miles (2,834 km), going from Darwin in the Northern Territory to Port Augusta, South Australia. While this is similar to the distance between New York and Denver, the speedy run took place on a derestricted stretch between Alice Springs and Barrow Creek.

“This isn’t a modified racecar; it’s a luxurious grand touring road car fresh off the production line. It took us a little over a minute to go from a standstill to 206 mph. That’s extraordinary. Even when you break through the 200 mph barrier, the GT Speed just keeps accelerating,” John Bowe said.

P.S.:In case you have a deja-vu feeling, it might be because of the Porsche 918 Spyder’s Australian Outback adventure that took place earlier this year.