Bentley was in a bad state at the end of the 20th century. It was a super low-volume manufacturer with a handful of cars that looked just like Rolls-Royces (because they were), but then in the early 2000s, the automaker changed its entire fortune around by introducing the Continental GT to the world. Its quad headlights, W12 engine and supreme comfort took the world by storm, and now the rest is history.
Over 20 years later with nearly 100,000 Continental GTs sold around the world, Bentley is launching its latest creation: the fourth-generation Continental GT Speed. Sure, it may not look terribly different from the outside, but the plug-in-hybrid mechanics underneath make it a whole new car. The GT Speed may be out-of-this-world expensive, but it’s also out-of-this-world good, and that’s what’ll really matter to Bentley buyers.
Full Disclosure: Bentley flew me out to Switzerland, put me up in a deeply extravagant hotel and paid for all of my meals just so I could drive the 2025 Continental GT Speed.
The big news with the 2025 Continental GT Speed is that the twin-turbo W12 that powered it since its inception is no more. In its place is a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 (borrowed from other areas of Volkswagen group and already used in the V8 Contis) mated up to a 187-hp electric motor that sits in the transmission and gets its juice from a 25.9-kWh battery pack. Sure, the old W12 had a hell of a lot of character and it will be missed, but damn does this new plug-in-hybrid setup make up for its absence. Altogether, the car produces 771 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, up from 650 hp and 664 lb-ft in the old W12 Speed. That’s enough to get this over 5,400-pound car from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds, and if you keep your foot in it, you’ll top out at 208 mph. Those are some serious numbers.
This sort of speed, as you may have imagined, is quite ferocious — and it’s aided by the wonderful-sounding V8. I’m not sure how Bentley was able to make a 4.0-liter motor sound like a World War II fighter plane, but wow it is fabulous. Regardless, thanks in part to the lightning-fast gear shifts and torque fill from the electric motor, this car feels as close to an electric car in terms of acceleration as you can get with something powered by God’s special liquid. Put your foot down, and it’s more like a plane taking off down the runway than a car accelerating on a road. I’ve driven some of the quickest EVs in the world, and the sensation is very similar, just with the added bonus of a fantastic soundtrack.
What’s really brilliant, though, is that once you get into town and don’t want to bother your neighbors, a quick flick of the drive-mode selector will put you in electric-only mode. It’s good for speeds up to 87 mph, and you can use up to 75 percent of the throttle before the gas motor kicks in. That means you can still get quite a move on even if you want to be completely silent and emissions-free. The EV mode is also good for just about 50 miles of pure-electric range, which is better than most other PHEVs on the market, and Bentley says the whole system can be recharged in about two hours and 45 minutes. Not too shabby.
That being said, if you aren’t patient enough to do that, just drive the car harder in Sport mode. The powertrain uses enough regen that you can pretty much fill the battery all the way up on a single spirited drive. Much like Porsche, it uses regen through the brakes, rather than having it come on automatically. It all works rather seamlessly and is brilliant. Bentley’s hybrid system is complex and expensive, and it’s also possibly the best in the business. It better be for what you’re paying, but we’ll get to the price in a bit. I’m still busy talking about how brilliantly the Speed drives.
All that power gets transferred to all four wheels through a Porsche-sourced PDK gearbox (to my knowledge, this is the only non-Porsche product that gets a PDK, so that’s sort of neat). The 2025 Speed also comes with an electronic limited-slip differential and rear-wheel steering, which is great when you’re maneuvering around the twisty roads of the Swiss Alps as I did in three separate Contis Speeds, in both GT and convertible GTC forms.
I would really love to know just how much engineering help Bentley got from Porsche (it does share a platform with the Panamera, after all), because holy hell does this thing know how to get around a corner. Whether it’s long sweepers through a valley or tight hairpins while traversing up a mountain, the Continental GT Speed is up to the task. It’s almost completely neutral with maybe a hint of understeer on the really tight stuff, which can be remedied rather quickly with some more throttle. It’s all just so progressive. The Pirelli tires give you ample amounts of grip and will let you know when you’re getting a bit too close to the limit with a slight squeal. All the while, the steering feels sharp and direct. There isn’t too much road feel, this being a luxury grand tourer and all, but it’s still damn good. Once you’re out of the corner, you just stomp on the gas pedal, the engine roars and you’re rocketed out of the exit like a rollercoaster. Hit the optional carbon ceramic brakes to haul you in like you’ve crashed into an Alp, turn the wheel and the fun starts all over again.
Of course, the Continental GT Speed is about more than, well, speed. It’s also about looking good. While the body remains the same, Bentley made some fairly substantial changes for the Conti’s fourth generation. Gone are the now-iconic quad headlights and oval tail lights. In their place up front is a new circular headlight with a “brow” and more oblong taillights that stretch onto the trunk lid. The bumpers are redesigned, the grille is larger, Bentley ditched the side vents and there are new wheel and trim options. To be honest, it feels more like a heavy refresh than an all-new generation, but like the Dodge Viper, I’m going to take the company at its word for what it considers a generation. Anyway, I’m not totally sure I love it. The overall design is still fantastic, but I don’t know. Those quad headlights were iconic to the Continental GT brand, so to me it’s a bit of a shame Bentley did away with them for a more modern look. Hey, maybe you like it more looks are subjective after all.
The interior of the 2025 GT remains a near-total carryover from the car it replaces. I know that may not sound great, but I promise you that it’s for the best. I’ve driven a hell of a lot of cars, and there’s a real argument to be made that the Continental has the best interior on the market. Aside from the fact it’s very well-built, the design and layout is fantastic. There’s just the right amount of buttons, switches and knobs that complement the optional rotating “forbidden Toblerone” center display. You’ve got a screen there for when you need it, but the second you don’t you can press a button and have three gauges appear instead, and use the driver’s gauge cluster display for major car functions. It’s the perfect blend of tech and old-school luxury. There’s nothing like using a really great driver-assist system while an analog compass tells you what direction you’re headed.
Since this is a Bentley, you won’t be shocked to find out the interior is deeply customizable. Every single surface and material can be specified to your liking, and that means you can create some really heinous specs, like one of the cars I drove. It was painted green and its interior was blue and orange with walnut wood paneling. For better or worse, it was truly a sight to behold. That being said, it doesn’t really matter how you spec your interior — all of the real metal, wood, dead cows and Alcantara will still look and feel fabulous, and that includes the three-dimensional leather that Bentley is implementing. Basically, it’s textured leather without any stitching. I don’t know how this was done, but it’s damn impressive.
I suppose now it’s time to switch gears to the unpleasant topic of price. You see, the Continental GT Speed is not a car for us. No. It’s not even a car for our bosses. It’s a car for their boss’s boss’s boss. The GT Speed coupe starts at $302,100, not including destination or the gas guzzler tax it’ll surely suffer from. The GTC is even more money, starting at $332,200. But while those prices might seem crazy to us mere mortals, it’s actually in line with the outgoing GT Speeds — in both coupe and convertible guise, the prices are pretty much the same as the cars they replace. That’s not something you see every day. We’re also still waiting on pricing for the non-Speed 2025 Continental GT lineup, which has yet to be revealed. The 2024s stickered at about $245,000 to start.
Let me tell you, not a single one of these cars will ever have a transaction price anywhere near those numbers. Much like Porsche, every little thing is an optional extra that Bentley buyers will happily pay. That Tourmaline Green GT? Buddy, that cost about $380,000, and it was the cheapest one I drove. Granted, a big chunk of that price $39,940 to be exact) is for the First Edition Specification. It gets you things like a Naim audio system, the rotating display, a whole lot of badges, different lighting elements and better seats. Carbon-ceramic brakes are a further $18,820 and that striking green paint is over 12 grand. There were a few other multi-thousand-dollar options as well, but it’s not worth getting into.
Again, that was the cheapest one I drove. The Bronze (it’s brown) GTC I drove costs about $410,000, and the Candy Red car with its $41,190 First Edition spec, carbon ceramics, Blackline Specification and contrast stitching would sticker for north of $420,000. These are some serious prices for a very serious car. You get my point. This is an expensive car for folks who want the best, and the GTC is certainly the best. Honestly, it blows a lot of its competition straight out of the water, and it should. You’re paying a premium for that “B” on the hood.
Very often, I have a hard time accepting extremely expensive cars because of the folks who tend to buy them, but this is one of those rare occasions where I see exactly where the money goes. The Continental GT Speed justifies its price (and then some) by being second to none when it comes to driving pleasure, engineering, comfort and luxury. It may not be something attainable for poors like us, but damn is it good.
If you are someone who has the funds to purchase a Continental GT Speed, then I implore you to do so, because I can’t imagine things getting much better than this.
