2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed breaks cover with 1000Nm

The new-generation 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed has finally made its public debut as the most powerful production Bentley, despite ditching V12 power in favour of a new V8 plug-in hybrid system.

Presenting a familiar two-door Continental GT design but with a few extra lines and a more aggressive front-end, the new Speed flagship is good for outputs of no less than 575kW/1000Nm.

They come courtesy of a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine and an electric motor drawing current from a 25.9kWh battery pack that provides up to 81km of all-electric range.

Those outputs mark a 90kW/100Nm improvement over the twin-turbo W12 in the outgoing Continental GT Speed, while fuel consumption and emissions are said to have been reduced by up to 90 per cent, although the actual numbers are still being finalised.

Regardless, Bentley says its new range-topping coupe will offer a maximum driving range of up to 859km (with a full tank of fuel and a fully charged battery).

When the petrol and electric systems are combined, the Continental GT Speed is claimed to hit 100km/h in just 3.2 seconds and push on to 335km/h, achieving its top speed in just 33 seconds.

Drive is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and helping harness all the extra firepower is the latest-generation Bentley Performance Active Chassis, which pairs the AWD system with an electronic limited slip differential, four-wheel steering, torque vectoring, Bentley Dynamic Ride active anti-roll system, an all-new electronic stability control system and two-chamber adaptive air suspension.

“Overall dynamic ability and steering feel have both been improved by the car’s now perfect weight distribution of 49:51, achieved thanks to the intelligent positioning of the hybrid battery,” Bentley said.

“The weight split brings a car that is inherently balanced during dynamic driving and permits a range of driving styles to be accessed.

“The overall customer benefit of the new chassis system is simple – comfort mode is even more comfortable and sport mode has even better body control than before.”

Counteracting the GT Speed’s substantial performance potential is a steel braking system comprising 10-piston callipers on 420mm rotors at the front and four-piston callipers on 380mm discs at the rear, behind 22-inch wheels.

Optionally available is a carbon-silicon-carbide brake set-up using the same callipers but bigger, lighter, stronger and more fade-resistant 440mm and 410mm rotors.

Creature-comforts inside the cabin include 20-way power-adjustable seats, a 10-speaker sound system, quilted leather upholstery, 12.3-inch Bentley Rotating Display, 30-colour mood lighting, My Bentley App Studio connectivity and a fully configurable digital instrument cluster with myriad hybrid-specific displays.

The 2025 Bentley Continental GTC Speed convertible debuted alongside the coupe and features all of the above equipment as well as a fabric folding roof that can be raised or lowered in 19 seconds at speeds of up to 48km/h.

The catch is the extra weight associated with the folding roof has mildly dulled the GTC Speed’s performance. Its claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is two-10ths slower at 3.4sec and its top speed is a whole 50km/h lower at 285km/h.

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au