Say Hello To The New 208mph Bentley Continental GT Speed

The Bentley Continental GT has been around for over 20 years now, and for all that time, the fastest versions have been powered by the firm’s charismatic 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12. Now, though, that engine’s about to ride off into the sunset, and the fourth-gen Continental GT has arrived in flagship Speed form, bearing the powertrain that’ll replace it.

At the heart of that setup is a 592bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, one that’s familiar from all sorts of applications across the VW Group, not least the lower-powered versions of the outgoing Conti. For the first time in a Bentley, though, it’s paired with an electric motor as part of a plug-in hybrid setup. That motor alone produces 187bhp, and when both elements are at full chat, the Speed hammers out a massive 771bhp.

Together with a peak torque figure of 738lb ft, that’s enough to send the aptly-named Speed off to 62mph in 3.2 seconds, and on to a maximum velocity of 208mph. Want a duller but probably more useful stat? Owing to a 25.9kWh battery, the quoted electric-only range is 50 miles. Everything’s sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch ’box.

Helping keep these huge reserves of power in check is a massive suite of chassis tech, all grouped under what Bentley calls its Performance Active Chassis. This includes an electronic limited-slip diff, all-wheel steer, the ability to vector torque to individual wheels, active anti-roll control, and all-new active two-chamber air suspension. Phew.

All this tech and electrification contributes to a kerb weight of 2459kg, but it's distributed front to rear with a 49:51 split. If you’re concerned about bringing it all to a halt, you can order carbon-silicon-carbide brakes, with enormous 440mm discs up front.

It’s still very much a Conti visually with that sloping roof and those big swollen haunches, but for the first time, it’s got single headlight units rather than the twins seen on every Continental since 2003. The boot lid has been reshaped with a downforce-providing lip spoiler, preventing the need for a terribly unsightly active item.

Inside, it carries over the outgoing car’s ‘Rotating Display’ party trick, which sees the central part of the dash able to flip between three different elements: a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, a trio of analogue dials, or an unbroken slab of whatever the dash is trimmed in (in the case of this launch car, some very un-Bentleyish carbon fibre).

Naturally, Bentley’s Mulliner division will be able to source some unbelievably exotic materials for particularly wealthy buyers. There’s also the option of a mighty 18-speaker, 2,200W Naim sound system for you to blast your ‘doof doof rave afternoon’ Spotify Daylist through (a real title I’ve just been served).

It launches as both a GT coupe and GTC convertible, the latter of which sees a 0-62mph time drop to 3.4 seconds and top speed reduction to 177mph. The important stat there, though, is that its fabric roof will drop in 19 seconds and at up to 30mph, giving you plenty of scope to show everyone how wealthy and attractive you are.

Pricing’s yet to be announced, but the new Continental will enter production later this year. Expect less powerful, possibly non-hybrid versions to join the range later, as well as a four-door Flying Spur.