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Bentley

Tuesday, 6th of January 2009

Polls

The first production Bentley ever to break the 200mph barrier this frankly amazing automotive work of art is equipped with a frightening 600 brake horse power under the bonnet. The Continental GT Speed has the same brilliant 6 litre W12 twin turbo masterpiece as the standard Continental GT; however the boffins at Bentley have tweaked the performance and managed to extract a 9% increase in power which gives some truly outstanding performance figures: 0-60 in only 4.3 seconds and 50-70mph in 2.3 seconds, and when you consider the car is almost 3 tonnes these are exceptional figures.

The Bentley Continental GT Speed offers the same incredible handling as the standard Continental GT providing wonderful high-speed straight-line capability. The all wheel drive and weight of the car mean it is firmly planted to the tarmac at all times and at high speed the car delivers power to the road without a hint of twitchy nervousness which would afflict a lighter car. There is always a danger of the driver feeling too remote from the action in a car as luxurious as the Continental GT Speed but the engineers at Bentley have obviously taken their time in delivering a responsive ride. The shock absorbers can be varied between extreme comfort and extreme sportiness, giving the driver all the choice you need and it is difficult to argue against that.

The car oozes the usual Bentley class, build quality and finish but also goes that one step further than the standard Continental GT and has the Mulliner finishing touches included in the asking price. Essentially aesthetic improvements, the Mulliner features give a bespoke feel to each and every Speed built and can include: Mulliner Alloy fuel filler cap, premium veneers, and cross-stitching to seats and door panels, amongst other things. The Speed also benefits from a swanky new three-spoke steering wheel. Overall, you will be hard pushed to find a car with such refinement full stop; but factor in the performance as well and you have perhaps the most luxurious supercar yet built! A final nice touch is the Speed motif located on the door sills, understated yet classy.

The Bentley website proclaims that the largest front brakes for a passenger car in the world can be found on the Continental GT Speed, and we have no reason to disagree! What we do know is that with the advanced safety features on the car it is very difficult to lose control. A copious amount of airbags should provide adequate protection for the occupants if the worst happens and the car is involved in a shunt. The Speed also includes the same security features that the standard has; so expect keyless entry, multi-functional alarm, inclination and glass breaking sensors amongst other crime prevention measures.

Space inside the car is identical to the standard Continental GT, with plenty of room for the driver and front seat passenger, and while the back does not offer a huge amount of room, it still beats its rivals in this respect. Boot space is also identical at 370 litres, so you will have no trouble with golf clubs and suitcases. In fact, it is one of the only genuine supercars which you can live with on a day-to-day basis – whether it is a weekend trip to the coast or a drive to the local supermarket.

Okay, it goes without saying that the Bentley Continental GT Speed is not a cheap car, it is expensive and exclusive; but you certainly get what you pay for. The Speed is around £10,000 more than the standard Mulliner GT Coupe but you do get the refined engine (that extra 9% power remember), Mulliner features as standard, tweaked suspension, and huge new 20” multi-spoke wheels (which are not available as an optional extra to Continental GT owners.) These unique alloys are important as they are one of the few external features which differentiate it from the non-Speed sibling, the only other being small differences to the headlight surrounds.

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