Bentley's legendary W12 engine had to die, but there are far worse ways to salve our sense of loss than the 2025 Continental GT Speed and its new hybrid drivetrain. Profligacy and emissions sealed the fate of the old twelve-cylinder gas engine, though the painfully fast and smooth electric cars we've seen in recent years did at least make Bentley's zero emission ambitions seem less inconsistent with its commitment to zero compromise. Make no mistake: Bentley isn't positioning its plug-in hybrid as a green concession for the eco-pious.
In fact, that it's the Continental GT Speed — and its GTC Speed convertible cousin — which lead the charge for the fourth-generation car is a very intentional reminder that electrification can be as much about performance as it is frugality. The automaker's first hybrid GT, then, has more horsepower than the W12 version it replaces. It has more torque, too, and is faster to 60 mph than the old, twelve-cylinder GT Speed .
It looks sharper and more aggressive, and of course it's still audaciously priced: with a cool $86k of extras, this head-turning Magenta coupe hovers around $388,000, and the droptop is even more expensive. So far, so Bentley. Yet in a segment where lust makes more sales than logic, the bigger question is whether this new Continental GT Speed still has the character required to make it a star.
The silhouette may be the same, but Bentley didn't stint on the detailing. The new headlamps — indeed, the whole new fascia — are.
