The new 2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed is the most powerful Bentley production car ever. The Speed is the sportiest variant of the Continental GT series. It comes with lowered suspension, an extra aggressive body kit, a black mesh grille, and 22 inch wheels. The reworked 6.0 liter twin-turbo W12 engines puts out a massive 650 hp and 900 Nm. The motor is mated to an eight-speed dual clutch transmission, sending horses to all four wheels.
Bentley says it has re-calibrated the the gearbox for a 100% faster shifting time compared to the regular GT. The Speed is equipped with electronic all-wheel steering, torque vectoring, and an electronic limited slip differential (eLSD). These systems combined are designed to make the big Bentley a bit more agile in the corners. But how agile can a car with a curb weight of 2.2 tons really be..? Well, it is certainly very fast. Bentley claims a 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 335 kilometers per hour.
A big car with big power needs big brakes. The Speed’s carbon ceramic ventilated brake discs are enormous. The front brake discs have a diameter of 420 millimeter and a width of 40 millimeter. At the back, the diameter is 380 millimeter and width is 30 millimeter. That is larger than most super cars. For example, the front brake discs of the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50s hypercar measure ‘only’ 370 millimeter, 50 less than the Bentley’s! Even more impressive are the calipers. At the front, the Bentley is equipped with 10-piston brake calipers, where most super cars have six. At the rear, the Bentley comes with 4-piston brake calipers. As the image shows, the caliper is gigantic, covering almost the entire side of the brake disc. The calipers are painted in a racy red with Bentley branding.
This generation Continental GT Speed is very likely the last with a petrol-only power train. The next generation, expected around 2025, will be a plug-in hybrid. It will get a smaller engine but it will be way more powerful. Hopefully Bentley can keep its weight in check, otherwise it’ll need even bigger brakes.