Meet Bentley’s new 208km / h Continental GT Speed ​​for $ 275,000

Bentley Motors is not resting on its laurels after a record year of sales in 2020 for the famous British luxury carmaker.

The Volkswagen company on Tuesday unveiled the 2022 Continental GT Speed, a new performance version of its best-selling car plate. Bentley calls the vehicle the “most capable, performance-oriented Bentley ever.”

The car is expected to cost around $ 274,900 when it goes on sale in the US and Europe in the third quarter, followed by other markets in the fourth quarter.

The two-door car has a 6.0-liter 12-cylinder engine with a weight of 650 horsepower and torque of 664 feet. The car runs 0-60 km / h in 3.5 seconds. According to the carmaker, its top speed is 208 mph. The performance is slightly better than the Bentley Continental GT and Continental GT convertible with the same engine. It also has additional performance parts and tuning, officials said.

“The new Continental GT Speed ​​is the pinnacle of the big tournament,” Matthias Rabe, Bentley’s chief engineer, said in a release.

The third generation Continental GT Speed ​​may be one of the latest, if not the latest, non-electrified versions of the car. Bentley plans to offer exclusively plugged-in hybrid electric or battery-electric vehicles by 2026, and full-fledged electric vehicles only by 2030.

“This is a big change for a company that grew up with 6.75-liter engines and W12 engines,” Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark said at a news event. “We know that legislation, the taste of the customer and the characteristics of a battery-powered broadcaster fit in perfectly with the Bentley strategy, which is why we are very excited about it.”

Hallmark said the company does not intend to have plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) with V-12 engines. He said V-8 engines combined with electrification are expected to achieve similar or better performance. PHEVs mix battery technology with internal combustion engines.

Bentley’s sold 11,206 vehicles in 2020 – despite a seven-week closure of its plant in England during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last spring. This was the top record of the company’s 11 006 unit in 2019. The Bentley Continental GT and Continental GT Convertible together accounted for 39% of its sales.