With stricter emission regulations taking hold around the world, automakers have been hard at work developing solutions that make sense for their brands, and Bentley is no exception. Yet despite catering exclusively to an outrageously well-heeled clientele, Crewe’s approach with the 2025 Continental GT Speed is arguably the most sensible for a mainstream audience: Hybridization.
For years, hybrids carried a stigma associated with left lane-hogging, fuel sipping economy cars, but the performance-luxury landscape is rapidly evolving. Sportscars like the McLaren Artura have proven that hybridization can be done well in the context of high-end performance, and providing buyers with a combustion-free way to travel short distances solves a growing problem for European motorists and manufacturers alike while infusing some feel-good environmental consciousness into these products.
This, as usual, does require a few sacrifices: Bentley’s iconic W12 is out, and the already-portly Continental GT Speed’s curb weight has grown to 5421 pounds, an increase of more than 400 lbs. over the outgoing car. But as sacrilegious as it may sound, I was never particularly enamored with the W12 to begin with. While the beastly 12-pot made plenty of power, it sounded like a V6 during the brief moments when you could hear it, and I never found the twin-turbo V8 to be hurting for grunt anyway. So I approached the new Continental GT Speed with a sense of curiosity rather than suspicion.
While the majority of the look and the hardware onboard carries over from last year, the 2025 model is framed as a refresh of sorts, offering minor aesthetic tweaks at the front and rear of the car go to along with chassis updates and the revamped propulsion setup.
Shared with the latest Porsche Panamera Turbo S as well as the Lamborghini Urus SE in slightly different states of tune, the new hybrid powertrain consists of a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that makes 591 hp and 590lb-ft which is assisted by an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that produces 188 hp and 332 lb-ft on its own. Power is sent to all four corners, and through the magic of hybrid powertrain math, the system’s total output now stands at 771 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque; gains of 121 hp and 74 lb-ft over the outgoing W12-powered Continental GT Speed.
Pressing the ignition button is a less ceremonious affair now, as the default “Bentley” drive mode gets things going under electric power and only brings the V8 into the proceedings if there’s a need for a serious dose of horsepower. The electric motor is fed by a 25.9 kWh battery pack behind the back seats and enables roughly 50 miles of all-electric motoring when measured by the European WLTP testing cycle (or roughly 35 miles by North American standards). There’s an 11kW charger in the trunk, but the V8 will also top off the battery when it’s active.
That rarely happens under normal driving circumstances, though. The hybrid system has more than enough all-electric shove for on-ramps and other common driving tasks, and it’ll carry the car up to 87 mph without getting internal combustion involved. I did notice a few uncouth clunks at lower speeds that felt like transmission shifts, and the transition from all-electric power to a combination of electric and internal combustion propulsion was a bit unrefined at times. But on the whole, the new setup adds another layer to the Continental GT Speed’s already extensive skill set, as it allows for stealth motoring when flying under the radar is preferable. And while the Continental has had vault-like isolation from road noise for some time now, the ability to remove the thrum of internal combustion from the mix allows you to hear even greater detail from the fantastic Naim audio system.
It should come as no surprise that a modern Bentley offers exceeding plush road manners, but the GT’s new dual-valve adaptive dampers take things to a new level. Designed to provide a wider range of soft-to-stiff control, bumps taken at speed which normally generate significant head toss in other cars are effectively non-existent in both Bentley mode as well as the even-softer Comfort mode.
Out in the canyons, those dampers also do a commendable job of controlling body motion when hustling the car in Sport mode. Although the poundage is more substantial than ever, the powertrain changes improve weight distribution, yielding a balance of 48/52 front to rear versus the 55/45 figures of the outgoing car, while the deep baritone growl of the V8 (which remains active at all times in Sport mode) delivers a much more emotive soundtrack than the W12 did without dominating the conversation.
The chassis is poised when pushed, producing rotation that’s shockingly predictable and controllable despite the fact that this car weighs more than many full-size crew cab pickups. The massive (and optional) carbon ceramic brakes also have commendable stopping power at moderate pace, which is comforting because this thing is an absolute missile in the straight line. Official figures peg the new GT Speed’s 0-60 mph sprint at 3.1 seconds on its way to a 208-mph top speed. Behind the wheel, it feels in even quicker than that.
But even the most advanced technologies must eventually bow to physics. The car’s weight is evident the first time you throw it into a fast corner, as the Pirelli P Zero tires cry out in agony at speeds lower than you might first expect, and brake pads really start to heat up after being subjected to a few big braking events in quick succession. Although it’s unlikely that most would-be owners will push their cars hard enough for these shortcomings to really become an issue, I can’t help but wonder what a grippier tire and more robust pads would do for the car’s dynamic capabilities.
On the whole, though, the new Bentley Continental GT Speed retains everything that made the last one such a pleasure to drive while also expanding its proficiencies and noticeably improving its straight-line thrust. Of course, with a starting MSRP of $302,100 ($395,910 as-tested), it damn-well better. Available in coupe or convertible form, this remains the grand touring two-door for those with deep pockets, posh tastes, and lead feet.
[Images © 2024 Bradley Iger/TTAC.com]
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Source: The Truth About Cars
