Bentley Continental GT Speed : HIGH ON SPEED

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As a combination of GT and supercar, Bentley's Continental GT Speed is very tempting, thinks Jonathan Crouch

Is there really a place for a really sporting Bentley? You might imagine not. If you want a supercar after all, you buy a Porsche or a Ferrari, surely? But then you'd have to do without the unequalled feeling of luxury that only comes from a car like Bentley's Continetal GT. Is it really possible to have power, poise and glory?

This, after all, is the premise behind this car, Bentley's Continental GT Speed, a more focused version of the standard GT. For another £20,000, in other words, a price tag approaching £140,000, you get the most that the Crewe company's engineers can achieve in terms of offering you a supercar and a super Grand Tourer. It isn't quite the best of both worlds but no other car on earth gets closer to achieving that elusive balance. Chief Engineer Ulrich Eichhorn is an expert in race car engineering and has tried everything to sharpen up the Continental's responses without harming the hallowed ride quality. Hence, while the springs are 22% stiffer, the anti-roll bar is a millimetre thinner to compensate. There are optional carbon-ceramic brakes (for over £9,000) which track day fiends will love, stopping the car over and over again without any sign of fade, though they need a little warming up first. You might need them too, given that this is the most powerful production Bentley ever and the first to top 200mph. The discs sit in wider 9.5J 20-inch wheels and bespoke performance tyres are fitted as standard fitment. From the outside, the GT Speed model is identifiable by a wider, lower air intake and a more upright radiator grille that also provides increased airflow to the more powerful engine. Subtle design touches, including a dark-tinted front grille and larger sports tailpipes, are intended to reinforce the car's sporting character. Its 600bhp W12 engine develops 15 percent more torque and nine percent more power than the standard Continental GT's 552bhp unit, while engine efficiency is optimised by the use of lower friction, lighter-weight components and a new engine management system. The resultant performance sees a top speed of 202mph, a zero to 60mph sprint time of just 4.3 seconds and effortless overtaking capability. Both the GT Speed and the standard Continental GT benefit from internal efficiency improvements to deliver reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

"It isn't a Ferrari. Nor is it a Maybach. But as a combination of both, it's near unbeatableâ€¦."

Inspiration for the GT Speed apparently came from the legendary `Speed' models that first appeared in 1923. The standard Bentley 3-litre had already established Bentley's engineering superiority in terms of roadholding, handling and braking, but W.O. Bentley, the company's founder, recognised the market potential for a more potent version aimed at the enthusiast driver who demanded superior performance. His response, the 3-litre `Speed Model', complete with twin SU carburettors and a higher compression ratio engine, became one of the most coveted of all Bentleys. The all-wheel drive Continental GT changed the face of the luxury coupe market and attracted a wider audience to the Bentley marque. Following its launch, demand for a sportier version of the Continental GT was first met by the 2005 GT Mulliner Driving Specification and the limited edition GT Diamond Series in 2006, to celebrate 60 years of Bentley at Crewe. Only with the launch of the Continental GT Speed however, has the need for a sporting version been properly met. The GT Speed's cabin is based on that of the Mulliner Driving Specification (an option on the standard GT). It includes a choice of veneers (Burr Walnut, Dark Stained Burr Walnut and Piano Black), Diamond-quilted hide seats with an embroidered Bentley emblem, indented hide headlining, a sports alloy gearlever, three-spoke multi-function sports steering wheel, drilled alloy foot-pedals as well as `Speed' logos to the treadplates. A range of Mulliner options provide further opportunities for personalisation including fascia panels, header and centre console in bright aluminium or, unique to the GT Speed, dark tint aluminium. Otherwise, the recipe is much as you'd find it in any standard Continental GT. Power is transmitted to the road via a rear-biased four-wheel drive set up which gives the Bentley a handy advantage when the going gets slippery. The link between the driven wheels and the engine comes courtesy of a six-speed automatic transmission built for Bentley by ZF. This can be marshaled via paddles behind the steering wheel should you wish, or else it can be driven like a conventional automatic. This was a surprisingly controversial feature when the car was originally launched, with some engineers arguing that a car with this much torque didn't need a six-speed gearbox. Yes, you could lock the Continental GT into third gear and surf languidly along for much of the time, but the enthusiast owner profile eventually dictated the six ratios. Another first for this Bentley was in the attention paid to its aerodynamics. A car that can accelerate to 60mph in less than five seconds and on to over 200mph requires aerodynamics that its owner can be assured will keep it remaining dirty side down. The Continental GT benefits from the expertise of the best aerodynamicists the Volkswagen Group had and the venturi tunnel under the rear of the car and the cooling ducts in the engine bay all attest to their labours. Inside, the fascia has been designed with a notion of symmetry, the centre console rising up to divide two swathes of veneer that were designed to resemble the Bentley winged logo. It's said that Bentley's designers even took a tape measure to a team of New York basketball players to ensure that headroom is acceptable even to those at the extremes of the morphological scale. The Continental GT is a proper four seater, although a broad transmission tunnel runs down the centre of the cabin. Certain Bentley trademarks endure - the bullseye chromed ventilation outlets and the organ stop controls - but don't get the impression that this interior is a quaint retro pastiche. A touch screen LCD display on the centre console controls the air conditioning, satellite navigation, computer information and entertainment systems, whilst many of the minor controls can be operated without removing hands from the steering wheel. It's this blend of old and new that's particularly fascinating. Craftsmanship techniques have been similarly updated. For instance, wood paneling can be dramatically curved in a way that was once impossible. By the same token, while the leather is still applied to the car with the same hand crafted care, it`s cut from hides using a digitized process that reduces waste and optimizes efficiency. The Continental GT Speed will be exactly what many potential Bentley owners were waiting for - an impressive combination of supercar handling and limousine GT comfort. It isn't a Ferrari. Nor is it a Maybach. But as a combination of both, it's near unbeatable.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Bentley Continental GT Speed
PRICE: £137,500 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 396g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 202mph / 0-60mph 4.3s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 10.0mpg / (extra urban) 17.0mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, curtain and side airbags / ABS / stability control
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/ Height 4804/ 1916/ 1390 mm