Arriving around Autumn (UK) this year, the prestige British car maker Bentley Motors have revealed the fourth generation Continental GT Speed. A luxury car they say will deliver the ultimate blend of supercar performance, handcrafted interior and practical usability.
A comprehensive exterior and interior redesign with clean modern detailing follow the new design DNA established by the coach-built Bentley Bacalar and Batur (see here for the latter). Outstanding performance is brought by an all-new ‘Ultra Performance’ Hybrid power-train with 771bhp (782 PS) and 1,000 Nm of lovely torque, from a four-litre V8 working in tandem with a 187bhp (190 PS) electric motor. 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds is the result, with the benefit of 50 miles (81 km) of usable electric-only range and a total range of 534 miles (859 km). Thus this premium brand have created an everyday supercar in both coupé and convertible models that can cover continents.
The Beautiful Exterior
This fourth generation Continental GT Speed follows the form of the modern two-door Bentley in that it has a stance, likened by the company to ‘a powerful resting beast; muscular but relaxed and confident with strong, well-defined haunches indicating the power beneath the skin’. Crikey, these car manufacturers do like their hyperbole don’t they? See for yourself though, in our images. It’s a gorgeous car, reinforcing the status of this exceptional luxury grand tourer.
The ‘endless bonnet’ (hood) creates a strong horizontal line through the car suggesting a high-performance engine and pure speed. The whole car has been visually tidied up, with fewer breaks in the surfaces giving a more refined shape. The complete front aspect of the car is new, from the body coloured integrated body kit to the biggest change in the last two decades for the Continental GT: Single front headlamps, no less. Not since the S2 of 1959 has a mainstream, non-coach-built Bentley had single front lamps, apparently, but it’s an interesting design choice.
The headlamps feature a new horizontal ‘eyebrow,’ a deep crystal cut diamond effect to the top of the lamps and an illuminated lower pattern. The matrix LED lamps contain no less than 120 separate LEDs that are digitally controlled with differing responsibilities for low beam foreground to high beam power boost. This increases the capability of the lamp with main beam displaying a widened field of illumination and improved fade out, which gives a more gradual transition from lit to unlit areas. This makes reading the road more natural and gives a more relaxing driving experience by avoiding the perception of ‘black holes’ in the field of vision.
The rear of the car has also been redesigned including the bumper, tail lights, boot lid and exhaust tail pipes. The boot lid incorporates an integrated aerodynamic form to provide rear downforce without the need for a deployable rear spoiler, and the bumper is much more dramatically styled emphasising the width of the car, whilst being cleaner with less embellishment. The rear lights have a dramatic new appearance with a much wider graphic stretching into the boot lid.
The Exquisite Interior
The Continental family already features some of the most beautifully executed interiors in the world and showcases the pinnacle of craftsmanship from the skilled team at Bentley’s factory. This latest grand tourer features a new precision quilt pattern taking inspiration from modern fashion design to the seats and doors. With sculptured quilting, fading perforations and a new quilt embroidery, the cabin provides the ultimate cocooning environment for any extraordinary journey.
The 20-way adjustable seats in the Continental GT have long set industry standards in comfort and refinement and now new interior features include the optional ‘Wellness’ seating with Postural Adjust and Auto Climate to the front seats, minimizing fatigue and providing a level of relaxation that is truly unique, they say.
The new ‘Dark Chrome’ specification provides a more contemporary aesthetic and gives a more understated character to the cabin. This applies to door handles, switches, speaker grilles and many other areas around the cabin. Further, a choice of three audio systems is offered in the Continental GT. The standard system features 10 speakers and 650Watts, while a Bang & Olufsen 1,500W, 16-speaker system with illuminated speaker grilles is aimed at lifestyle-oriented customers. A Naim 2,200W, 18-speaker system with Active Bass Transducers built into the front seats and eight sound modes is offered for the true audiophile.
Laminated acoustic glass is retained for the windscreen and side windows, resulting in a welcome nine-decibel reduction in exterior noise. The new Continental GT continues to feature the innovative Bentley ‘Rotating Display’ a three-sided display featuring a 12.3 inch high-definition display, three elegant analogue dials, and an unbroken side of handcrafted veneer. Mood lighting around the cabin works the sculptural shapes of the seats and doors to create a cocooning effect, with the user able to choose the colour of the lighting from thirty options.
The fourth generation Continental GT and GTC Speed benefit from the latest generation of electrical architecture, enabling a significant step forward in infotainment and driver assistance technology. This technology is the most advanced in the luxury segment and extremely competitive for customers coming to Bentley from other premium brands. The environment display (shown in the drivers instrument panel) supports and enables driving in semi-assisted mode providing feedback to the driver how the car is responding to other vehicles. The vehicle’s understanding of the surrounding environment allows for ‘Intelligent Park Assist’, the latest generation self-parking system with speed control.
The technology is not just limited to driving aspects either. The air conditioning system has been revised to increase cabin ‘wellness’ including air ionisers, a new particulate matter filter and displays showing air quality outside and inside the vehicle. The new convenience features will make every journey more relaxed experience and can be tailored to reflect customers personal preferences. The system also synchronises with the car’s satellite navigation, knowing when it might be necessary to improve cabin air quality (for example by recirculating the cabin air when in a tunnel). Improvements have been made with essential features such as wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto and over-the-air map updates.
The Awesome Drive
Outstanding performance is brought to automotive life by an all-new ‘Ultra Performance’ Hybrid power-train as describes above with a total range of some 534 miles (859 km) depending on how the car is driven, creating an everyday supercar that can go the distance. System power has also increased by nineteen per cent over the previous model. This makes the new Continental GT Speed the most powerful Bentley ever, beyond the levels of the second-generation Supersports and the mighty Batur. The power is delivered via an eight-speed dual clutch transmission and an electronic limited slip differential (eLSD) to all four wheels, for exceptional power delivery and reliable traction in all conditions. The system uses active torque vectoring front to rear through a centre differential, and precision vectoring across each axle using the brakes, so handling and braking will be second to none; especially for such a big vehicle.
Find out more about purchasing current Bentley models from across the range by checking our website for further information on our tried and trusted VAT-free export service from the UK to global destinations like Kenya, Ireland, New Zealand and the Caribbean.
