New Bentley Continental GT Speed

The 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed has been revealed with 616bhp, new gearbox and improved economy. Arrives October 2012.

Regular readers will already know that the new Bentley Continental GT Speed debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the end of the month, but Bentley has now revealed their new GT Speed ahead of that public debut.

Just as you’d expect, the new GT Speed is a tauter and more muscular version of the new Continental GT that arrived almost two years ago. It gets a re-worked W12 with 616bhp (up by 16bhp on the first generation GT Speed) and 590lb/ft of torque.

That’s enough power and twist to get the GT Speed to 62mph in 4.2 seconds (or 60mph in 4.0 seconds dead) and on to a top speed of 205mph, making the new GT Speed the fastest production Bentley yet.

All that power and twist get sent to all four wheels through a new close-ratio, eight-speed ZF ‘box which is not only quicker but more efficient too, making a big contribution to the new GT Speed’s 12 per cent improvement in economy (but still don’t bank on much more than 12mpg if you’re really playing).

The GT Speed also benefits from uprated steering and suspension and lowered ride height for tauter handling and better agility with grip provided by huge 275 35 R21 Pirelli P-Zeros.

In the looks department it’s much the same as the first generation GT Speed with a dark tinted matrix front grill and lower air intakes, a rifled finish to the tail pipes, Speed alloys, Mulliner Driving Specification as standard (quilted seats etc.) and the odd Speed logo popping up on stuff like the sill plates.

We don’t have a price for the new Bentley Continental GT Speed yet, but expect around £150k with the order book now open and first UK cars arriving in October.