Bentley was in a bad state at the end of the 20th century. It was a super low-volume manufacturer with a handful of cars that looked just like Rolls-Royces (because they were), but then in the early 2000s, the automaker changed its entire fortune around by introducing the Continental GT to the world. Its quad headlights, W12 engine and supreme comfort took the world by storm, and now the rest is history.
Over 20 years later with nearly 100,000 Continental GTs sold around the world, Bentley is launching its latest creation: the fourth-generation Continental GT Speed . Sure, it may not look terribly different from the outside, but the plug-in-hybrid mechanics underneath make it a whole new car. The GT Speed may be out-of-this-world expensive, but it’s also out-of-this-world good, and that’s what’ll really matter to Bentley buyers.
Full Disclosure: Bentley flew me out to Switzerland, put me up in a deeply extravagant hotel and paid for all of my meals just so I could drive the 2025 Continental GT Speed. The big news with the 2025 Continental GT Speed is that the twin-turbo W12 that powered it since its inception is no more. In its place is a twin-turbo 4.
0-liter V8 (borrowed from other areas of Volkswagen group and already used in the V8 Contis) mated up to a 187-hp electric motor that sits in the transmission and gets its juice from a 25.9-kWh battery pack. Sure, t he old W12 had a hell of a lot of character and it will be missed , but damn does this new plug-in-hybrid se.
