2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed Road Test

If after driving one of the first Continental GTs to roll off the line way back in the summer of 2003 you’d have asked what it was missing, the last thing I’d have told you was horsepower. Stock with 552 from a W-configured twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder, Bentley’s “entry-level” coupe was and still is one of the most powerful in its class, and together with all-wheel drive, a truly sporting suspension setup and one of the most lavishly appointed interiors in the business, it’s a car that easily delivers on the sport-luxury combination its beautifully athletic shape promises. But, like with so many things this day and age, if enough is good, more is better.

Not going into too much detail about the coupe and convertible’s front end styling tweaks, including a more upright grille, a bumper that sits a bit lower and features a wider air intake, plus renewed quad headlights, all new for 2008 and looking even more gorgeous than it did before, the coupe can be had with five enticing letters added on to its rather long handle, “Speed”, a name that pulls from Bentley’s legendary heritage of race-bred Speed 6s, contested from the early ‘20s through to the ‘30s, and more recently its sensational Speed 8 which swept first and second at Le Mans, June of 2003. These classic Bentleys were amongst the top performers of their respective eras, just like this most recent one (or should I say “ones” being that the Flying Spur Speed will soon be available as a 2009) is the fastest four-place coupe currently available on the street.

Fast doesn’t quite do it justice, really. And then to contemplate that this megalithic sports coupe, however graceful, weighs in at a rather well-fed 5,180 lbs, the years spent grappling with high-school physics certainly seem wasted. None of my teachers would have bet money on the GT Speed performing as well as it does, sprinting from naught to 60 mph in about as much time as it takes to lift a hand away from the steering column mounted paddle-shifter, wave at those left at the stoplight shrinking within the rearview mirror and replace it back on the wheel for a finger flick to second gear; 4.3 seconds to be exact. A new camshaft chain, crankcase, and a new engine management system for the regular GT, which reduces fuel consumption and emissions if you’re interested in the green attributes of a car that sucks back 10 mpg in the city and 17 on the highway when not driven so aggressively, is enhanced with new pistons, connecting rods, and timing chain in the Speed to help it to whip past seemingly standing motorists on freeway onramps with such intensity that you’ll be wondering whether or not they’ve all stopped in awe, craning their necks to get a glimpse of the stunningly attractive gray streak rushing up alongside, and stretching out of their seats to see its muscular haunches pounce onto the highway, veer left into the fast lane and carry on into the distance. But that’s not the half of it.


Of course, I couldn’t help but set out for a little back country slogging of my own, first on a familiar mountain roadway that snakes up to a local ski resort, with irregular pavement patches, dips and bumps enough to flesh out any hidden chassis gremlins, and next onto an ambitiously winding stretch of fresh pavement that’s so narrow at some points it thins out to a single lane, with fir trees and cedars towering so far overhead and so dark in their midst that they transform into artistic blurs as they bleed into each side window, Emily Carr oils mixed into fluid movement by an artist in its own right, the GT Speed at speed.

This car is so ridiculously agile that I’m once again shaking my head in disbelief, perplexed at how so much mass can be tossed around with an almost reckless abandon. Sure the specially made 26-spoke alloy rims on 275/30ZR20 Pirelli P-Zero Rossos can account for some of the car’s grip and stability, but lots of cars come shod with Pirelli’s finest rubber, if not 20 inches in diameter. Maybe it’s the Torsen all-wheel drive system, putting as much of the W12’s 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque to the road as mechanically possible, aided by a specially tuned electronic traction and stability control system, with “Sport Traction” mode that lets the back end step out a bit when coaxed. Certainly, this has something to do with it. Or the lowered ride height, stiffer bushings and solid-mounted front subframe? The difference from the regular GT is easily felt. Or possibly it’s the adjustable air suspension that can be tweaked via the dash-mounted infotainment controller to provide anything from a plush limousine-like ride to supercar levels of tautness. The Servotronic steering is rack and pinion, nothing unique about that except for faster action than the GT, and the car isn’t constructed using aluminum space frame technology with carbon fiber panels, although aluminum and composites make up some of its outer shell. No, oddly enough the GT Speed and its Continental family members appear almost ordinary when placed beside other exotic hardware, with only the configuration of the engine standing out as anything particularly unique, and its surefooted carbon-ceramic brakes especially supercar-like. Yet all these meticulously crafted albeit rather conventional components come together in such a wholly cohesive manner that the car at full throttle will dumbfound even the most talkative of relativists, with a quick drive through a circuitous stretch of road causing the staunchest atheist to question whether he’s just felt the power of God.


Inspired? Personally, I believe that all good comes from a higher source of inspiration, and whether or not Bentley’s engineers defer to some mechanical muse or God Himself, I can’t say, but the engine gives off a melody so sweet that it could incite a chorus of angels to break out singing Rex tremendae (a personal favorite when tackling curves at high speed), or at least ruffle a few feathers. It’s a unique growl, much more pronounced in the Speed than the regular GT and especially noticeable when lifting off the throttle. I found myself speeding up and lifting off just to hear another grumble from the twin pipes, a guttural rasp that’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard from a car before, except for its four-door counterpart, the Flying Spur Speed.

Like the larger sedan, the GT Speed is ultimately luxurious, boasting just about as much leather, metal and high-grade materials that can be had in a car. OK, it’s not as resplendent as a Brooklands, nor as pricey I might add, nevertheless the GT Speed doesn’t merely give off a sense of occasion, but rather exudes more of a coronation. Instead of the usual burled walnut or bird’s eye maple, the Speed’s interior trim is piano black lacquer, which contrasts brilliantly against billet aluminum and chromed solid metal trim and switchgear. There’s a small splash of plastic on the center stack, mostly comprising the buttons for the HVAC and audio/nav system (which comes with Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity and a six-disc CD changer, incidentally) and while the former system’s neat row of buttons, with their chrome strikethrough, or the latter interface’s twin lines of ovoid chrome-rimmed shapes are nice to look at, dare I say their tactile quality and lack of effective damping, causing a little side-to-side wiggle and audible clicking, doesn’t quite measure up to the rest of the cabin’s air of superiority. But this is easy to overlook after twisting the radio’s machine-worked metal-sided volume controller or rotating the similarly finished infotainment knob, or for that matter pulling on the organ stop sized vent actuators to let in a cool breeze of micro-filtered air or taking the time to set the exquisite Breitling dash clock. The exclusive sport gear lever feels wonderful in the palm of the hand, as does the rather special three-spoke sport steering wheel, and the drilled alloy pedals add a little extra grip to the sole of your shoes, enhancing at-the-limit control.

The seats, suitably bolstered for performance driving, are covered in diamond-quilted leather and rather than the winged-B logo that adorns some of Bentley’s other models, feature bold BENTLEY script across their shoulder indentations. They’re comfortable, supportive and can be adjusted just about any way you want, while the buckets in the rear can actually fit full-size adults, if needed.

Don’t worry, I’m not about to drag on about the GT Speed’s pragmatic aspects, even though the backup camera was rather handy, other than to say that it’s one of the easiest two-door cars to live with, day in and day out, a reality Bentley confirms with statistics showing that its owners use their cars as daily drivers more often than not.


I certainly could see myself motoring to the office in a GT Speed every day. Its combination of absolute beauty and refined grace complement its riotous sporting nature perfectly, like an opposites attract marriage of Jekyll and Hyde proportions. I’m still in awe of Bentley for thinking any more power was necessary, but after living with this car for a few days and discovering that there’s a great deal more to the Speed than merely the power increase, I can appreciate why a select number of Bentley aficionados will want to own this very special machine.