Bentley Continental GT Speed heads for Detroit debut
Brash British convertible clocks 202 mph, according to Bentley.
Speed—the name and the notion—has been synonymous with Bentley for nearly a century.
There have been a number of landmarks, starting in 1923 when the “Speed” moniker first graced the 3 Liter, followed by the victorious Speed Six's accomplishments at Le Mans from 1929-30. Cementing the legacy, a Speed 8 triumphed 83 years later at the 2003 French endurance classic.
Now comes the modern successor, the 202-mph Continental GT Speed convertible. Debuting at the Detroit auto show, the Bentley runs a twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 pushing out 616 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, enabling a sprint to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.
All-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox round out the running gear, and the four-seat cabin is done up in the top-shelf Mulliner specification trim.
The hardtop model is nearly identical and it weighs a touch less, allowing for slightly quicker acceleration and the lofty title of “fastest Bentley ever,” clocking in at 205 mph.
Sacrifice about 3 mph (you'll never notice), and the convertible offers a brash take on a distinctly British machine. Deliveries start in June.
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This new iteration of the Bentley Continental GT is an elegant beast that will one day become a rare collector car worthy of an auto museum. The power curve from the twin turbos must be enormous to launch such a heavy car to 4-second 60mph sprints and a 200 mph top end. Obviously this machine is largely hand built and priced in the stratosphere, insuring that it will be enjoyed by a select few who are lucky enough to get their hands on one. A very nice ride indeed.
Peace ~
I want one... I want one.
Not too far from where I live here in SD, a corn farmer all his life type guy did very well in the corn markets as all the other farmers who were doing the same thing AND he bought himself a New Bentley Continental. This was about Sept 2010ish. The car was gorgeous...
He owned that thing very proudly until he made a big big big mistake quickly making is life change forever...
He let his wife drive the car and she said she would move into it since it was so nice...
I wonder if he'll buy himself a new Continential GT...
and ... I just hope he only gets 1 set of keys...
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