Photo: Bentley
Plenty of dedicated luxury details all around the car, new advanced and refined technical features, everything for one capital purpose: the materialization of the most dynamic Bentley produced during the brand's 101-year history. Beyond any doubt, the new Bentley Continental GT Speed is the pearl inside the shell of the actual Bentley range.
They are delightfully conservative, those Brits! The new Bentley Continental GT Speed sticks to the house's philosophy, even if it targets a higher performance level. Refined and oversized technique—yes! Flamboyant neoclassic design—yes! Any lightweight or downsizing features—no! The folks in Crewe are not interested at all in the saying “less is more.” They prefer “more is more,” an expression that doesn’t admit any kind of reply.
The only thing they cared to reduce is the value of the 0 to 100 kph (0 to 62 mph) acceleration time, with only 3.6 seconds being needed in the case of this freshly made Continental GT Speed. Among others, that’s the consequence of the upgrading process applied to the well-known 6.0-liter W12 TSI engine, which now develops 659 PS (650 hp) and some 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) of torque. The dual-clutch, eight-speed transmission is twice as fast in Sport mode than in the standard Continental GT W12.
Yet, we are talking about a luxury GT that weighs about 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg). Accelerating it, that’s one thing, keeping it stable on the road, that’s a completely different thing, a complex one. Yet, there is a new Electronic All-Wheel Steering system improving the road-holding of the Speed in the Bentley and Comfort driving modes.
That is more noticeable in the Sport mode, as the steering works together with the Bentley Dynamic Ride adaptive suspension and electronic limited-slip differential for a level of agility unlike in any other Bentley intended for sale.
In the Bentley and Comfort mode, the overall grip is balanced between the front and rear wheels, while the Sport mode has been calibrated with a more rear-biased torque–split. For the first time in a Bentley, the Continental GT Speed latest generation introduces an electronic rear differential (eLSD).
The only thing they cared to reduce is the value of the 0 to 100 kph (0 to 62 mph) acceleration time, with only 3.6 seconds being needed in the case of this freshly made Continental GT Speed. Among others, that’s the consequence of the upgrading process applied to the well-known 6.0-liter W12 TSI engine, which now develops 659 PS (650 hp) and some 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) of torque. The dual-clutch, eight-speed transmission is twice as fast in Sport mode than in the standard Continental GT W12.
Yet, we are talking about a luxury GT that weighs about 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg). Accelerating it, that’s one thing, keeping it stable on the road, that’s a completely different thing, a complex one. Yet, there is a new Electronic All-Wheel Steering system improving the road-holding of the Speed in the Bentley and Comfort driving modes.
That is more noticeable in the Sport mode, as the steering works together with the Bentley Dynamic Ride adaptive suspension and electronic limited-slip differential for a level of agility unlike in any other Bentley intended for sale.
In the Bentley and Comfort mode, the overall grip is balanced between the front and rear wheels, while the Sport mode has been calibrated with a more rear-biased torque–split. For the first time in a Bentley, the Continental GT Speed latest generation introduces an electronic rear differential (eLSD).
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