The Bentley Continental GT Speed has always been one of the fastest ultra-luxury cars that money can buy. A silky smooth W12 engine and timeless styling have always been enviable trademarks. But how can you make this inviting package even better? Bentley thinks it has the answer with the updated 2021 Continental GT Speed. Buckle in to hear all the latest details on this very special Continental.
Updated Exterior Styling Adds Depth, Bespoke Interior Captivates
The GT Speed’s exterior styling retains much of the standard model’s core identity, but Bentley designers added more aggressive touches to make the GT Speed stand out. That includes a model exclusive dark tint finish for the front grille, lower air intakes, and the prominent side sills. Massive 22-inch wheels are a Speed exclusive, and while they arrive with bright silver trim standard, buyers can also choose to dip them in dark tint or gloss black finish to spice them up.
The cabin serves as the proverbial follow-up to the festivities, with Bentley stylists adorning it with a bold two-tone color scheme for the leather and Alcantara inserts. These materials are used on the seats, steering wheel, and select areas of the dashboard. Customization has always been a persistent Bentley trait. Buyers can choose from 15 primary colors and 11 secondary colors, which greatly enhances the amount of customization on hand. The only limit is their imagination. Other bespoke trim is present here, including the novel rotating center dash piece that hides the infotainment display.
Performance Hits The Proverbial Sweet Spot
A very potent symbol of the GT Speed’s political incorrectness has always been the 6,0 liter twin-turbocharged W12 that lurks under the hood. The engine has been around for a long time, but it’s still a monster when it comes to raw performance. Bentley claims that this GT Speed is the most dynamic offering that the company has ever produced, and when you look at some of the tweaks that they made to the engine, you get the message that this claim is not just a mere utterance of marketing jargon.
In this instance, it translates into a 24 horsepower gain over the “standard” W12, with the 2021 model now producing 650 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to shoot the car to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds which is slightly quicker than the old model, and flat out, it will go all the way up to 208 mph. The eight-speed automatic was also reworked, and Bentley claims that it not only shifts twice as fast as the standard model but also more aggressively when it’s placed into Sport mode.
The suspension and steering have also been reworked along with the engine, with engineers adding an all-new Electronic All-Wheel Steering system that gives the model four-wheel steering. This helps improve high-speed stability and also reduces body roll too. The Bentley Dynamic Ride system is also on board, and it does its part to further silence body roll. Bentley claims that these two features help this version of the GT Speed be the most agile one it has ever produced. At first glance, it seems that Bentley’s claims are merited, but like everything else, we look forward to experiencing one out in the real world to validate these claims further.
When Can I Buy A 2021 Continental GT Speed?
Bentley did not reveal official pricing for the 2021 GT Speed, but the British luxury carmaker did reveal that the first production units will begin rolling out to showrooms later this year. We expect the GT Speed to still command a significant premium in price over the standard Continental range. As a refresher, a non Speed equipped W12 model starts at $218,900, so look for the GT Speed to potentially go past $230,000.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.