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2008 Bentley Continental GT
2008 Bentley Continental GT
One Bodacious Brit
Bentley cracks the 200 mph mark with the Continental GT Speed.
Performance
Like the VW Phaeton chassis on which it’s based, the Continental GT’s structure is made largely of weight-saving aluminum. Yet while Bentley managed to shave another 77 pounds from the GT Speed, this is still an enormously hefty car at 5,180 pounds.
The Bentley Continental GT Speed's performance hallmark is how well it disguises its chubby weight. Its sheer mass ensures that the Bentley will never drive like a Porsche 911, yet it will still caress curves at ridiculous rates of travel. The Continental GT Speed is all about attaining and holding unspeakable speeds without disturbing occupants with such plebian things as the sound of a bellowing engine, squealing tires, or any other audible disturbance caused by more than two tons of metal flying around a bend.
At full throttle, you can hear some twin-turbo whine on top of the titanic W12's hum. But ride and handling sensations are muted, except for the sense that all the other cars keep getting in your way. If it weren't for median-lurking lawmen, the Bentley Continental GT Speed could cruise highways anxiety-free at 100 mph or even 120 mph.
Honestly, it’s not easy to sense the difference in acceleration between the 552-hp and 600-hp versions of the Continental GT: Both are rockets, so it's just a matter of determining which will arrive at the moon a few moments before the other. Yet a 15 percent bump in torque, to 553 pound-feet, does make the Continental GT Speed feel stronger in some critical situations. For instance, going from 50-70 mph is a thrilling, 2.3-second explosion of force and makes passing Interstate slowpokes almost too much fun.
A rotary knob on the console adjusts the self-leveling air suspension to one of four settings, from softest ride to sharpest handling. We found the setting just below the full-sport mode offered the best mix of comfort and control.
Thanks to its upgraded chassis and suspension, the Continental GT Speed doesn’t ride much more harshly than the standard version, even with its chunky 20-inch wheels, shod with wider, lower-profile Pirelli P Zero tires designed specifically for this model.
The Continental GT Speed also adds a new dynamic setting to the standard stability-control system that intervenes later when it senses wheel spin and then reapplies torque quicker to allow for more spirited driving.
The six-speed automatic transmission can fend for itself, or be shifted manually via the console shifter or a pair of L-shaped paddles behind the steering wheel.
Not surprising considering the crushing combination of weight and speed, the Bentley Continental GT Speed features the largest brakes of any production car on the market as of the time this article was published. They work as advertised, reining the Bentley in with consistent ease. Carbon-silicon composite brakes are a $16,500 option, which reduce unsprung weight at the wheels by about 25 pounds to improve handling.
The Bentley Continental GT Speed seems to defy the laws of physics, but the payback comes at the pump: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy of 10 miles per gallon in the city and 17 mpg on the highway is dismal; we saw a combined 12 mpg over a week of driving.
In the unlikely event that a Bentley will rack up the 15,000 yearly miles of a typical car, that adds up to an annual fuel bill of roughly $3,500. Either way, we doubt that pricey fill-ups will dissuade anyone with the means to spoil themselves with a Bentley Continental GT Speed.
You’re a price-is-no-object buyer who wants to command the road and the attention of passersby; 552 hp and the exclusivity of the base Continental GT just isn’t enough; the GT Speed’s added performance and features seem worth the extra price.
You’d rather not be stared at everywhere you go; the Bentley’s miniscule back seat doesn’t cut it, which makes a Bentley Continental Flying Spur or a rival sedan a better choice; the standard Continental GT is expensive enough, thank you.
Two adults up front, two toddlers or vertically challenged adults in back.
The Bentley Continental GT Speed takes its name from the company’s Speed models that first appeared in 1923. Company founder W.O. Bentley had driving enthusiasts in his sights even back then, offering a “Speed Model” of the standard 3-liter Bentley with a higher engine compression ratio and twin carburetors.
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