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The W-12 is dead—long live the hybrid V-8. Bentley on Tuesday revealed the facelifted Continental GT and GTC Speed, featuring a new hybrid V-8 powertrain making 779 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. It’s the most powerful Bentley yet, and like its predecessor, the Continental GT Speed maxes out at 208 miles per hour.
Bentley’s hybrid system is similar to other high-end Volkswagen Group plug-ins, like the new Porsche Panamera, Cayenne Turbo, and Lamborghini Urus SE. There’s a 25.9-kilowatt-hour battery pack mounted at the rear which powers an electric motor sandwiched between a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 and eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
On its own, the motor is capable of 187.4 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque, and it’s used primarily to provide “torque fill” at low engine speeds and to smooth out gear shifts. Of course, the motor can also drive the car independent of the engine up to 87 mph, and the range is 50 miles on the more forgiving European WLTP test cycle.
The V-8 gets the same updates in the Continental GT as it does elsewhere, too. There are new single-scroll turbochargers and a higher-pressure fuel injection system. On its own, this engine makes 592 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque. (The reason the system torque output of the Continental GT Speed is less than the sum of the V-8 and motor torque is because each reaches its torque peak at different points).
Bentley also facelifted the Continental GT, and while it looks familiar, the front gets new single headlamps inspired by coachbuilt models like the Bacalar and Batur. The twin headlamp motif has been a Conti GT signature since the model’s 2003 introduction. In fact, it’s the first production Bentley with single headlights since the 1959 S2, the brand says. At the rear, there are new, more intricately detailed taillights, too. Inside, it’s definitely a familiar Continental GT, which is to say resplendently luxurious.
Further hardware upgrades include new twin-valve dampers that allow for individual adjustments for compression and rebound, and two-chamber air springs. Bentley also touts a rear-biased weight distribution for the first time in the Continental GT’s history, with the rear mounting of the battery contributing to a 49:51 front-rear split. The Speed also comes standard with rear-wheel steering and active anti-roll bars. The sum, according to the automaker, is a car that’s more comfortable and better handling.
And if you want a convertible, there’s the Continental GTC Speed, though top speed in that is limited to just 177 mph. Still, it only gives up a tenth in 0-60 mph time, 3.2 vs 3.1 seconds for the coupe.
Bentley says production and deliveries of both the GT and GTC Speed will begin at its Crewe factory in the third quarter of this year. While the W-12 will be missed, there’s no doubt that this new hybrid system will provide the freight-train performance the Speed has become known for.
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