Say Hello To Bentley’s Fastest Production Car Of All Time: The New Continental GT Speed

We strongly believe that the Continental GT V8 is the best Bentley currently on sale. The 500bhp V8 is a characterful unit, the balance of the chassis is spot on and the 190mph top-speed is sufficient for the occasional Autobahn blast. But for some, an ‘entry-level’ Bentley will never be enough.

Bentley has recognised this, so the guys at Crew have given the ultimate Continental GT Speed even more, erm, speed… For 2016, the monstrous twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 has been treated to extra boost, upping power from 626bhp to 633bhp. Torque has also increased by 15lb ft to give the car an earth rotating 620Ib ft; for reference, the new Aston Martin DB11 only produces 516lb ft.

Bentley has stated that this extra torque is applied throughout the rev-range via ‘careful reoptimisation of boost control’ giving the Speed an impressive 0-60mph time of 3.9 seconds. As a result, the 2016 car is a whole 0.3 seconds quicker than its predecessor.

To celebrate this update, Bentley will also be releasing a Black Edition - basically a glorified cosmetic package. The highlights include all-black 21-inch wheels, gloss-black exterior brightware, a contrast front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and copious amounts of carbonfibre.

Paul Jones, Product Line Director for Continental GT has also provided some interesting facts on the build process of the cars:

It takes 110 hours to handcraft each and every Continental GT at the Bentley factory in Crewe, Cheshire. The upgraded W12 engine applied to all Continental GT Speed models is entirely assembled by 30 dedicated Bentley colleagues over 12.5 hours. Meanwhile, the sumptuous and technically complex unique interiors are handcrafted by the experts in Bentley’s Leather and Trim workshop. Each hide is carefully checked by hand and eye before being stitched, shaped and finished entirely by hand.

The new GT Speed and GT Speed Black Edition will both be available as coupes and convertibles. Order books have just opened, with deliveries expected to take place this summer. Prices have not been announced, but we expect the standard Speed to cost in the region of £170,00 - the current model is £168,300.