Bentley Motors is proud to reveal the fourth generation Continental GT Speed, following in the 21-year tradition of the Continental GT family by redefining the ultimate blend of supercar performance, handcrafted luxury and everyday usability.
A comprehensive exterior and interior redesign with clean modern detailing follow the new design DNA established by the coachbuilt Bentley Bacalar and Batur. Outstanding performance is brought by an all-new Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain with 782 PS and 1,000 Nm, from a 4.0-litre V8 working in tandem with a 190 PS electric motor. 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds is the result, with the benefit of 50 miles (81 km) of usable electric-only range (on the EU drive cycle) and a total range of 534 miles (859 km) – creating an everyday supercar.
The performance of the powertrain is matched by a new chassis system, with new two-chamber air springs paired with new dual-valve dampers, along with Bentley Dynamic Ride (48V active anti-roll control), eLSD and torque vectoring. Incredible body control and the best Continental GT ride comfort to date are the results, supported by a 49:51, rear-biased weight distribution for the first time in the car’s history.
Under the skin, a suite of modern innovative technology delivers class-leading capability so that every journey is a seamless experience in terms of driver assistance, infotainment systems and connected car services.
The new exterior continues the design revolution for Bentley’s future journey, with the biggest revision to the face of the Continental GT in two decades, and the first mainstream Bentley with single headlamps since the 1950s.
World-leading Bentley interior cabin design, materials, quality, and craftsmanship continue with the introduction of further wellness seat technology, new air ionisation, three-dimensional leather textures, new modern quilting, and technical finishes such as new dark chrome.
A completely new 400-volt electrical architecture enables the most advanced suite of powertrain technology to be offered by a luxury automotive brand today, delivering emissions of 29 g/km of CO2 and an electric range of 50 miles / 81 km on the WLTP drive cycle.
The fourth generation follows the form of the modern two-door Bentley in that it has the stance of a resting beast – muscular but relaxed, and confident with strong, well-defined haunches indicating the power beneath the skin. The favoured image of Bentley’s designers is a tiger at rest – calm and collected, but ready to unleash incredible force.
The front of the car is inspired by the upright elegance of a thoroughbred horse – reinforcing the status of this exceptional luxury grand tourer. Finally, the ‘endless bonnet’ creates a strong horizontal line through the car indicating the high-performance engine and pure speed.
The whole car has been visually cleaned, with fewer breaks in the surfaces giving more muscularity and a more refined shape. The complete front aspect of the car is new, from the body coloured integrated body kit to the biggest change in the last two decades for the Continental GT – single front headlamps. Not since the S2 of 1959 has a mainstream, non-coachbuilt Bentley had single front lamps, but the change brings a more determined expression to the face of the GT, again inspired by the focused expression of a hunting tiger.
The headlamp features a new horizontal ‘eyebrow,’ a deep crystal cut diamond effect to the top of the lamps and an illuminated lower pattern. The matrix LED lamps contain 120 separate LEDs that are digitally controlled with differing responsibilities for low beam foreground to high beam power boost. This increases the capability of the lamp with main beam widened field of illumination and improved fade out, which gives a more gradual transition from lit to unlit areas. This makes reading the road more natural and gives a more relaxing driving experience by avoiding the perception of “black holes” in the field of vision.
The rear of the car has also been redesigned including the bumper, taillights, boot lid and exhaust tail pipes. The boot lid incorporates an integrated aerodynamic form to provide rear downforce without the need for a deployable rear spoiler, and the bumper is much more dramatically styled emphasising the width of the car, whilst being cleaner with less embellishment.
The taillights have a dramatic new appearance with a much wider graphic stretching into the boot lid. The lamps protrude out from the boot and internally they feature a deep three-dimensional diamond pattern across their form. When illuminated the tips of the diamonds accentuated creating a molten lava-like visual effect.
New 22” wheels has a strongly directional design again takes inspiration comes from the tiger – with the ‘claws’ of the wheel digging into the road. The new wheel style is offered in dark tint paint with polished accents, gloss black or silver painted.
The Continental family already features some of the most beautifully executed interiors in the world and showcases the pinnacle of craftsmanship from the skilled team at Bentley’s carbon neutral factory in Crewe, England.
The new grand tourer features a new precision quilt pattern taking inspiration from modern fashion design to the seats and doors. With sculptured quilting, fading perforations and a new quilt embroidery, the cabin provides the ultimate cocooning environment for any extraordinary journey.
The 20-way adjustable seats in the Continental GT have long set industry standards in comfort and refinement. New interior features include the optional Wellness seating with Postural Adjust and Auto Climate to the front seats, minimizing fatigue and providing a level of relaxation that is truly unique.
The new Dark Chrome Specification provides a more contemporary aesthetic and gives a more understated character to the cabin. This applies to door handles, switches, speak grilles and many other areas around the cabin. Bentley’s bespoke division – Mulliner – will also be offering a collection of unique features enabling further personalisation to the latest model.
A choice of three audio systems is offered in the Continental GT. The standard system features 10 speakers and 650 Watts, while a Bang & Olufsen 1,500 W, 16-speaker system with illuminated speaker grilles is aimed at lifestyle-oriented customers. A Naim 2,200 W, 18-speaker system with Active Bass Transducers built into the front seats and eight sound modes is offered for the true audiophile. Laminated acoustic glass is retained for the windscreen and side windows, resulting in a nine-decibel reduction in exterior noise versus non-acoustic glazing.
The new Continental GT continues to feature the innovative Bentley Rotating Display – the three-sided display featuring a 12.3” high-definition display, three elegant analogue dials, and an unbroken side of handcrafted veneer. The three sides are selectable at the touch of a button.
Mood lighting around the cabin works the sculptural shapes of the seats and doors to create a cocooning effect, with the user able to choose the colour of the lighting from 30 options.
Both coupe and convertible models will be crafted entirely by hand at Bentley’s Dream Factory in Crewe, England. Production and deliveries are due to begin in Q3.
