Road Test: Bentley Continental GT Speed
The W12 engine was retired from Bentley’s line up in 2024, so I grab the keys to a Continental GT Speed to see what it’s like in its most potent form.
WORDS: Mark Rose | PHOTOS: Dom Ginn
There are many evocative names in the world of motoring. Super Sport, Super Veloce, Superleggera, Speciale, Challenge Stradale, Superfast, the list goes on. Notice that these monikers belong to some of the world’s most potent performance cars from the likes of Bugatti, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and Ferrari. All do their bit to convey that the models in questions are either the go-faster version of an already stupendously fast car, or in the case of the DBS and 812, just bonkers from the outset. But one thing these great manufacturers have never called their cars is “Speed.” This name belongs to Bentley and it’s perhaps the most fitting of badges for a car that truly epitomises the essence of effortless performance, the Continental GT Speed.
Bentley’s line up of powertrains now consists of a plug-in hybrid V6, a twin-turbo V8 and their range topping twin-turbocharged 6.0 litre W12. If you’re going to give your car a simple yet poignant name like Speed, then there’s only one engine suited to the job of powering it, the big W12. The motor which has Volkswagen origins will officially go out of production in April 2024 – something about emissions, blah, blah, blah – and along with it the Speed nomenclature. But for now, at least, we can enjoy it, although if you’re in the market for one you best hurry up as there are now limited build slots available.
A standard Continental GT is already one of the best cars on the planet thanks to its unmatched combination of pure luxury motoring and sporting credentials, which means for the Speed model, Bentley had to up their game even further if they were wanted to create a clear separation between the two cars.
First on the list of upgrades is a bump in power. The Speed has a whopping 650bhp – up 24bhp on a regular Conti – and 664lbs ft. which comes in from as little as 1,500rpm. For a 2.2 ton vehicle, it takes off at a truly alarming rate, especially when you engage launch control which is simply done by holding the brake and building the revs. As you take off, the rear squats, the bonnet rises and you’re catapulted towards the horizon. Zero to 62mph is despatched in 3.5 seconds and it will carry on to 208mph. Most impressive though is the effortless performance that comes with the swell of torque, how low in the rev range it’s offered up, and its quick response despite the inclusion of two turbos. You can be doing any speed in whichever gear you like; the Conti will unleash performance on demand with zero fuss. The W12 doesn’t sound as entertaining as the burbly V8, but what it lacks in character it makes up for with sheer, unfaltering and smooth performance. It’s an absolute powerhouse.
Mated to the motor is a twin-clutch, eight-speed gearbox designed by ZF which offers a good balance between snappy and smooth gearshifts. If you want to change the Speed’s personality from lazy cruiser to sporting GT, then you have Comfort, Bentley and Sport driving modes with a Custom option so you can configure your preferred set up. The car defaults in to Bentley mode on start-up which bridges the gab between Sport and Comfort, but I found myself using the two latter modes more often. In Comfort, the ride quality is supreme, particularly over the larger bumps in the road which it steamrolls over. Across a broken piece of tarmac it will pick out some of the rougher elements of the surface, but that might have more to do with the 22-inch alloy wheels rather than the suspension. For the most part though, it wafts along in a way that only true luxury vehicles can thanks to its three chamber air suspension.
Flick it in to Sport however, and the Bentley’s persona shifts to that of a more sporting vehicle. It’s physics defying how such a hefty car can feel so agile, especially on the entry to corners. There are a number of items working away to help the Speed retain its composure including a 48v anti-rolls system that keeps the body in check through corners. The steering is also beautifully calibrated; it’s light enough to ensure the Bentley feels quick on its feet, but offers enough heft so you don’t lose sense of where the front wheels are which is essential when you’re trying to place such a large and heavy vehicle at pace. What really separates the Speed from the standard Conti, however, is the fact that it comes with four-wheel steering as standard which assists with low speed manoeuvrability but gets it turned in to corners when really on the move. And you can sense it working, not in an unnatural way, but you can feel it just pushing the rear of the car in to corner in a way that makes it feel rear driven. This agility makes the GT Speed feel like a car that weighs sub-2.2 tons and the huge reserves of grip give you the confidence to push on in a way that you didn’t think possible. Brakes are mighty too, with our test car wearing the upgraded carbon ceramics which measure a truly colossal 440mm up front and 410mm at the rear. The stopping power is as immense at the acceleration, although the pedal is a little grabby at the top of travel and they require some finessing when you’re hustling the car along.
But when you’re done being a bit of a yobbo, you just put it back in to Comfort and revel not only at the aforementioned ride quality, but the rolling refinement. It’s one of those cars that goes the extra mile to ensure you’re cossetted from the outside world by filtering out any unwanted wind and road noise, and intrusive vibrations. Occasionally the odd shudder makes its way in to the cabin, but its only ever a consequence of driving over a particularly poor road surface while riding on those huge alloy wheels.
What your backside is feeling most of the time is the massage seats with separate heating and cooling functions, and any noise that does filter in from outside is quickly drowned out by the upgraded NAIM hi-fi which offers some of the finest audio in any car. The depth of quality and modern feel of the interior is unmatched by any manufacturer. Bentley do this best, walking a line between pure luxury while also appealing to younger customers in the process. The cabin is layered in leather and carbon fibre, but also brings the bling with knurled instruments and the traditional organ stops for the heaters. If like me you don’t appreciate the old boy’s smoking club wood veneer, then you’ll be pleased to see that you can option sportier trims like piano black or the ‘engine turned aluminium fascias’ pictured. Also, shout out to the Bentley press team who just know how to spec a car. We’ve now taken delivery of a fair few and each one has shown us how creative you can get with the various colour options. This Conti GT Speed was finished in Portofino with the Blackline specification to the exterior, and the cabin was trimmed in Brunel leather with Camel accents with contrast stitching. It was exquisite.
My favourite thing about Bentley interiors, however, isn’t the quality or how much fun you can have with the options list, but their approach to technology. In run-of-the-mill premium cars and even some which bridge the gap between premium and luxury, there’s often a big emphasis on tech and how many screen you can cram in to the cabin, but not so here. There are screens for the infotainment system and instrument binnacle, and they’re accompanied by actual buttons. If you don’t want to look at the main touchscreen, then you can either replace it with more fascia or three beautifully crafted clockfaces via the rotating display. I drove around with the clock faces on display nearly all of the time, and when I needed the navigation or wanted to change the song I was listening to, I accessed it using the instrument binnacle. Best of all, not once was I bothered by pesky lane assist. Utter Bliss. This is how luxury motoring should be defined, non-invasive and not overly complex.
So how much does all this hand crafted luxury cost? A normal Bentley Continental GT W12 starts from around £177,000, but for the Speed you pay a premium with the price starting from £219,400. Our test car was optioned to a little over £265,000. Perhaps the question is whether the Speed model is worth more than £40,000 over the standard car? In truth, the regular W12 offers ninety percent of the experience for a lot less money, but as is the way when playing in this area of the market, money doesn’t really factor in to which car you buy. These are emotional not logical purchases, and in the case of the GT Speed, you heart tells you to spend the extra money and buy the best you can afford, because you can. It is the most desirable and evocative Bentley you can buy, and a fitting tribute to the mighty W12 engine. It is, as its very name suggests, the epitome of speed.
Engine: W12, twin-turbo
Displacement: 5,950cc
Power: 650bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 664lb ft @ 1,500rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto, AWD
0-62mph: 3.5 secs
VMAX: 208mph
Kerbweight: 2,273kg
Price: £219,400+ (when new)
Technical Specifications
Exquisite luxury, potent performance, and an absolute powerhouse of a W12 engine. The Bentley Continental GT Speed is one of the finest vehicles money can buy.
10/10
Verdict & Rating
“In comfort, the ride quality is supreme, particularly over the larger bumps in the road which it steamrolls over”
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