What it is not, however, is a sports car. It is descended from a noble heritage of racing machines when the company was located in Cricklewood, north London, and noted for its four consecutive victories at the 24 hours of Le Mans from 1927 to 1930. Their greatest competitor at the time, Enrico Bugatti, whose lightweight, elegant, but fragile creations contrasted with the Bentley’s rugged reliability and durability, referred to them as “the world’s fastest lorries” (but usually from behind them). The GTS is no lorry, but with a curb weight in the region of 2,400 kg, it is inevitably subject to the constraints of mass and inertia that come with that.
However, the Continental GT Speed delivers a harder-edged, more sporting driving experience — the “Speed” logo on the door-sill hints at what is in the box. It does not feel like a sports car or sporting car and that prompted the somewhat churlish thought that a 10 percent reduction of weight as well as or instead of the increase in power might have produced a livelier feel to the car.
The low, slippery profile with its luscious curves make the car look as if it were sculpted from some exotic liquid. There are just enough sharpened edges to catch the light that hardens the shape and emphasizes the flowing lines. The complete absence of badges, bar the Bentley logo, and the flawless vitreous finish of the paintwork serve to emphasize the effect. It simply oozes speed.
Even with the noticeable turbo lag from standstill, this beast will charge 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds (0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds) — slightly faster than Porsche Carrera. If that were not enough, even more impressive, and to the frank disbelief of lane hogs on major highways, is the brutal overtaking surge between 50-70mph in just 2.3 seconds (80-120km/h in 3.0 seconds)!
The 6-speed ZF automatic gearbox, which even in sport mode is slow to kick down when you floor the throttle, and despite a 15 percent increase in torque over the previous model to 553lb ft, the car is initially surprisingly languid in its response. A second or so into acceleration though peripheral vision becomes a blur as the Bentley gets into its stride. The glorious W12 engine pumps out 91 percent of the power of the Ferrari Enzo but has 14 percent more torque. That makes the difference between sports car performance and fast Grand Tourer — but then that is what the Bentley is.
As the legal limit is whisked away in the slipstream, the power keeps on pouring on and a satisfying howl trails the car as it effortlessly doubles the speed. It is, buried in the leather-lined luxury of flawless hide with the warm feeling that all the nuts and bolts are done up tight, deeply satisfying.
The power to perform comes from the twin turbocharged six litre W-12 engine via the six-speed transmission. With a sport position, electronic ride-height adjustment and paddle-shift, there is much fun to be had playing the ratios on twisting country roads and letting the horses have their head. Self-adjusting air springs and electronic dampers operate independently for each wheel while the continuous all-wheel drive promotes advanced traction. With the largest front brakes to be found on any passenger car in the world — on the test model, carbon ceramic — the GTS stops as well as starts without a hint of fade. The speed feels more driver-focused and aggressive than previous models. The accurate steering is still light on feedback and there is a tendency for the speed to deviate off line under full power. Overall the car involves the driver with the process of driving. The uprated and lowered suspension has made the ride firmer, but the softer anti-roll bars never allow the Bentley to feel uncomfortable.
To increase stability, the Continental GT is fitted with a discreet retractable aerofoil that deploys automatically at speed. Exactly how effective this small flip-up wing at the base of the rear window is when pushing two tons of metal at 300kph I did not discover, but deploying it when stationary at traffic signals attracted some sympathetic glances.
It is a Bentley Continental GT Speed and quite naturally is a cornucopia of features. Of particular note are the 20-inch wheels, parking sensors linked to a rear-view camera, four-zone climate control, xenon headlights, adjustable suspension damping, 14-way power front seats, a navigation system and a 300-watt, 12-speaker audio system. Add to these the darkened chrome mesh grilles (upper and lower), diamond-stitch leather upholstery and three-spoke steering wheel and the GT Speed is a box of treats.
The dashboard is edged all over in stitched leather, and large diamond-quilted seats are grippy and comfortable. The excellent new three-spoke steering wheel, more user friendly than the company’s previous four-spoke, has tactile notches just above the crosspiece which are perfect for resting your thumbs under for high-speed maneuvering. The controls and switchgear have a very high quality tactile feel to them and are all within easy reach.
Yet, apart from the wheels, only really noticed by the cognoscenti, the delights are discreetly packaged in a quiet uncluttered and un-showy profile that announces itself with presence rather than the airfoils and nifty chrome turbo thrusters of rapper’s blingmobiles.
The GTS says it all by saying nothing obvious and establishes it credentials on the road, not in the forecourt of a fashionable watering hole. So when we took it to Brooklands Circuit in Weybridge where the Bentley Boys made their reputation, it was hardly surprising that it attracted a crowd. The circuit is now a museum with a magnificent collection of cars, naturally including a 1929 Bentley and aircraft, and is peopled by real enthusiasts.
Driving the GTS round the historical banked turn where the world’s first 24-hour race was held over a century ago, the Bentley was home.