Bentley Continental GT Speed 2021 UK review

Hefty dose of dynamism is added to the most luxurious GT on sale. Star rating will come after a road drive You can have one; that’s the important thing. Contrary to earlier reports, the new Bentley Continental GT Speed will go on sale in the UK after all, unlike the Speed version of the Bentayga SUV.That’s popular in Central America, presumably among people who commission narco-submarines for their day jobs, but less so here. The Speed coupé, though, will be popular here – because it’s a driver’s car, and we like those in the UK. Yes, despite the 2273kg kerb weight, it is.At heart, it’s a Continental – a car so popular it has been responsible for more than half of the 200,000 cars that Bentley has made in its entire history. It has a twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 engine in its nose, driving to all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, with adaptive dampers, air springs and a 48V roll-mitigation system. So far, so Continental.Where the latest Speed differs, and differs heavily, is in having active rear steer (for the first time on a Continental), as well as an electronically controlled limited-slip differential – also a Continental first. What’s more, there’s the option of carbon-ceramic brake discs (fitted behind the 22in wheels of our test car), which, although not a first, have the distinction of being the biggest discs yet fitted to any production car, at 440mm in diameter.