Test Drive Bentley Continental GT Speed: Keep Driving
Throughout the history of the aristocratic brand Bentley, the Continental GT Speed is the first production car to reach a top speed of 200 miles per hour or 326 kilometers per hour. First impressions of the sporty version of the 2 + 2 luxury coupe.
Velocity is the English word for speed. It looks like a promise. In this case - as a promise... 610 horsepower and 326 km / h top speed. The Continental GT Speed is the most powerful and fastest Bentley series of all time. With a subtle facelift, the traditional grille sits at a slightly modified angle, and the air intakes in the front bumper are larger. The headlights received new decorative rings, and the taillights received new LED turn signals. The GT Speed also received 9,5-inch wheels instead of the standard nine, as well as a sports exhaust system.
610 k. From. and 750 Nm
Despite all the changes, the elegant restraint of the design of this refined car has remained unchanged. Speed allows itself a little more freedom only under the hood - Bentley engineers made sure that two Borg-Warner turbochargers produce higher pressure. Stronger yet lighter pistons, new cylinder casings and increased compression ratio, reinforced vanes of the six-speed ZF automatic transmission – the end result of all this is 610 hp. With. and 750 Nm with absolutely unchanged behavior in all driving modes.
Huge and incredibly wide seats offer the comfort of club chairs, as well as excellent lateral support of the body when bending. You can't miss the exquisite hand-stitching and perforated aluminum pedals that are part of the custom Mulliner Driving Specification. While the “normal” GT is available as an option, speed is standard.
W12 with a monstrous reserve of strength and subtle manners
Starting the engine with an elegantly designed button reminds of a real ceremony. After a short but prolonged roar, the revs drop to typical idle levels, and only a quiet yacht “hum” is heard from the engine. Despite the monstrous 750 Newton meters that are available at 1750 rpm, starting with this car is as simple and straightforward as starting with a VW Phaeton or Audi A8. Only the action of the sports braking system with colossal discs and equally shocking brake calipers is a little nervous.
With full use of the entire range of the engine, it begins to seem that the laws of physics partially lose their influence here - the car's own weight of 2,3 tons feels like half. Dry, concise and in numbers: 4,5 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h (Continental GT: 4,8 seconds) and acceleration traction that surpasses most super athletes on the planet. No less impressive is the behavior of the car on the road. The lightweight suspension has undergone a series of meticulous work by the company's designers, resulting in fantastic comfort, while safety and dynamics have been further improved. There can be no doubt that the addition of Speed to the car's name is a promise that Bentley fully delivers on, and in a very impressive way...
Text: Marcus Peters, Boyan Boshnakov
Photo: Hardy Muchler
