- Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with? 8/10
- Is there anything interesting about its design? 9/10
- How practical is the space inside? 8/10
- What are the key stats for the engine and transmission? 9/10
- What’s it like to drive? 9/10
- How much fuel does it consume? 8/10
- What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating? 7/10
- What does it cost to own? What warranty is offered? 7/10
This is the best looking Bentley.
The Continental's shape and dimensions are near-perfect.
The Continental wears 22-inch alloy wheels.
What we like
The engine is to die for Surprisingly grippy when pushed Remains a comfortable cruiser when needed
What we don’t
An option list on a car in this price bracket Not as agile as lesser-engined models Backseat requires acrobatics
What we like
The engine is to die for Surprisingly grippy when pushed Remains a comfortable cruiser when needed
What we don’t
An option list on a car in this price bracket Not as agile as lesser-engined models Backseat requires acrobatics
Granted, rumbling out of pit lane and onto the very fast and very challenging Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia is not the first place you might expect to see a plush and lavish Bentley Continental.
The surroundings – about 100 kays outside of Adelaide – are not exactly what you’d call salubrious, and the track itself, while clean and modern, offers the usual expanse of vast carparks and buildings designed more for function over form. All of which makes the fleet of Bentleys parked here look as though they’ve been transported from another planet.
Yes, Bentley talks lots about it racing pedigree, and the brand’s past Le Mans’ glory, but these days it’s really far more about the grandest of touring than it is about tearing up the tarmac.
But if a race track is not a typical place to spot a Bentley, the 2023 Continental GT Speed is also very much not your typical Bentley. Think potent W12 engine, sporty suspension and brakes, and an exhaust note that snaps and snarls as standard.
So can this $551,600 ($690,932 as tested…) super-luxe limo really double as an unlikely track-day special?
Let’s find out.
Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with? 8/10
Get ready for some big numbers. The Bentley Continental GT Speed starts at $551,600. And that’s before you start selecting options.
The car we tested listed at $690,932, owing partly to the spectacular paint taken from the Mulliner bespoke range, and a list of high-cost add-ons too long to list here in full.
Rest assured, though, you can drop the $551,600 and get a whole lot of vehicle for that investment. The engine is spectacular, of course, but so is the look and feel of both the exterior and the cabin.
There are the luscious hides and grains of the cabin, and a thick, tactile and high-quality feel at every possible touchpoint.
What makes the Speed the most performance-focused member of the GTC family is the hardcore upgrades that include an electronic Limited Slip Differential, the Bentley Dynamic Ride Control 48-volt anti-roll system, all-wheel steering and a performance-focused traction system, all of which is designed to keep the most powerful production Bentley ever built on the straight and narrow.
Is there anything interesting about its design? 9/10
If there is a better looking Bentley, I haven’t clapped eyes on it (at least, not yet – but the bespoke-bodied models coming out of the brand’s Mulliner department will be plenty special, too).
The shapes and dimensions are near-perfect, with a big 22-inch wheel positioned in the furthest corner of the vehicle, and a smattering of go-fast extras giving this big and plush limousine and surprisingly lean and mean look.
This is the best looking Bentley.
The Continental's shape and dimensions are near-perfect.
The Continental wears 22-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, though, is possibly where this Bentley shines brightest. There’s quality at every turn, but that’s to be expected. But there’s also a careful performance-tinged understatement that works extremely well here.
There’s not look-at-me shouting, and instead a calming, comfortable cabin experience with just a hint of performance menace.
How practical is the space inside? 8/10
We’re driving a Bentley at a racetrack, so let’s be real here – practicality is not at the tippy-top of our priority list.
It is, however, a lot of car. We’re talking 4850mm in length, 2187mm in width, and 1405mm in height, and a wheelbase that stretches 2851mm.
Those dimensions are a little surprising in the cabin, though. Up front, there’s a predictable acreage of space for the driver and passenger, and quality at every turn, but getting into the backseat is surprisingly difficult, even with the front seat folded as far forward as it can possible shift.
Once inside, however, it’s a predictably cosseting and comfortable experience, but it’s not the sort of thing you’d want to be climbing in and out of with anyone important watching…
What are the key stats for the engine and transmission? 9/10
What an engine. The Bentley Continental GT Speed’s 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine is one for the history books.
Which is particularly interesting in this instance, as the history books are no doubt where this big beast of a powertrain will soon be consigned.
For now, though, Bentley owners get to enjoy a massive 485kW and 900Nm, channeled through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and fired to all four wheels (though in Sport mode you get a massive rear-wheel bias).
Predictably, the performance is immense. Zero to 100km/h takes a scant 3.6 seconds, and the flying top speed is an impressive (and believable) 335km/h.
What’s it like to drive? 9/10
So, about that engine. It’s a masterclass in effortless progress, a symphony of accessible speed, a study in subtle, and not-so-subtle, aggression.
In other words, it’s bloody good.
The clock is off course ticking on massive, fuel-hungry engines like these. And Bentley itself is well on the way to gearing up for its all-electric future.
But, just for a moment, let’s just forget all that important stuff and just revel in the magnificence of an engine that churns out a massive 900Nm of planet-twisting torque at your command.
Bentley says the Speed will push on to a flying top speed of 335km/h, and we believe them. We saw 245km/h flash up on the head-up display before we ran out of both road and courage, and it didn’t feel as though the Bentley was about to run out of puff anytime soon.
Along for the ride here are three chamber air springs — which can lower or raise at will, depending on what’s being asked of them — and a very clever 48-volt anti-roll system to prevent you being pitched about like you’ve entered rough seas.
Then there’s the eLSD that sends torque to where its needed most, rear wheel steering which makes turning into a corner sharper and more responsive, and a traction control system that, though it must surely want to, doesn’t get over involved unless you’re being really silly.
So yes, it’s heavy. But it’s also surprisingly agile on a race circuit.
Equally impressive is the Jekyll and Hyde of its personalities. There gap between its Bentley drive mode (where the car does the thinking for you) and its sportier settings is immense, and you can genuinely feel the character of the car shifting into angry mode.
The lesser V8-powered GT arguably feels a little less front-heavy (lighter engine, you see), and a touch more agile, but the moment you pass the halfway point of any corner, the GT Speed’s real party trick kicks in, with the accelerator connected to an endlessly deep reservoir of power, and any movement of your right foot breaks the damn wall, unleashing a torrent of buttery torque that is seriously impressive, and seriously addictive.
How much fuel does it consume? 8/10
If there’s a fly in the Bentley fine ointment, it’s that big engines are rarely overly frugal.
The brand says you can expect 13.7L/100km on the combined cycle, along with 311g/km of CO2. But those numbers will blow out massively once you begin treating the accelerator with anything other than the utmost respect.
What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating? 7/10
You’ll be shocked to hear that ANCAP hasn’t crash-tested a Bentley GT Continental. Something about neither party wanting to cough up the 500-odd-thousand bucks required.
We do know that the Bentley Continental GT Speed gets the City Specification as standard, which includes a top-view camera, low-speed AEB with pedestrian detection, and rear cross-traffic alert.
If you want more high-tech stuff, like the head-up display, night vision cameras, lane assist cameras, traffic sign recognition cameras, you’ll have to pay for it, courtesy of the Touring pack.
What does it cost to own? What warranty is offered? 7/10
The Bentley Continental GT Speed is covered by a mildly underwhelming three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with service intervals pegged at 12 months or 16,000kms.
In a world filled with five-, seven- and 10-year warranties, we’d want to see a little longer for a vehicle in this class.
Verdict
You’re unlikely to see a Bentley Continental GT Speed at a local track day any time soon. And for mine, that’s a real shame.
The engine is only part of the story. Every bit as impressive is the amount of high-tech magic that’s gone into making this big and heavy vehicle feel far smaller, and lighter, than it actually is.
But the thing that will really get your pulse racing is the power delivery from that big W12. It’s a love letter to the internal combustion engine, and one we loved reading.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with (travel), (accommodation) and (meals) provided.
Keyword: Bentley Continental review: GT Speed