Full disclosure here: I’ve long harbored a lustful, heart-palpitating, Bogart and Bacall love affair with Bentley’s Continental GT coupe.
From the day it glided on to the automotive landscape way back in 2003, I’ve continued to swoon over that achingly gorgeous profile, its towering W12 12-cylinder power, and interior brimming with artisan-stitched, diamond-quilted leather. It’s a sickness, I know. I’m getting counseling.
The love affair became only deeper and steamier after a bliss-filled week behind the wheel of the very latest, now fourth-generation Continental GT Speed. If power corrupts, I own-up to being corrupted. Seven hundred and seventy-one horsepower will do that to you.
That’s because for 2025, my beloved GT became a hybrid. Gone for good is the legendary, though ageing, 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 wündermotor.
In its place, a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 hooked-up to a single electric motor potent enough to do double-duty in the Hoover Dam. Combined, this dynamic duo conjures-up that thundering 771 horsepower and massive 738 pound-foot of torque.
The fabulous duality of this nuclear-like powerplant is that, depending on your driving mood, it can slingshot you from zero-to-60 mph in 3.1 seconds, and hit a top speed of 208 mph.
Yet with its battery brimmed, it can whoosh stealthily along for 30-plus miles on zero-emission, ohms-only power.
While this new hybridized GT Speed comes with a plug so you can charge at home or, heaven-forbid, at some bleak Target parking lot charger, there’s really no need—the Bentley can charge itself.
As I found when I set off from home base St. Petersburg with zero-miles range and drove across state arriving in Miami with a full battery, ready to tackle the wild stop-start traffic in electric-only mode.
And for those 30-plus miles, it drives just like a Tesla, remaining in electric mode for speeds close to 90 mph and with up to 75 percent throttle, before calling for V8 reinforcements.
While hybrid power is the big story here, there’s no shortage of other enhancements for 2025 to fan the flames of passion. For starters it gets a new, fresher face with single headlights in place of traditional dual lights, instantly telling the world you’re driving the newest Continental. Smart move. Like Emma Stone getting a new pixie cut for the Golden Globes.
At the rear there are new, equally glittery taillights along with a redesigned, more aerodynamic trunk lid sans spoiler, plus new quad exhausts. Fresh 22-inch wheels too.
As always with the Continental GT, the interior is a temple of exquisite taste, quality and craftsmanship. While the design stays essentially the same, beneath all that leather and timber lies a brand new 400-volt electrical architecture that powers the very latest infotainment and driver assistance systems.
One of those is the optional 2,200-watt Naim surround sound audio system with the juice to power 18 speakers. It might just be the world’s best car audio system.
On the road, all this magic comes together to deliver a truly astonishing driving experience. Here is the most powerful Bentley road car ever, enhanced by such techno do-dads as rear-biased all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, active-damping air suspension, and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission so smooth it must be running in Teflon.
Yes, it can be ferociously fast, but this new GT is also wonderfully refined and relaxed, living up to its GT Grand Touring moniker. That air suspension soaks up lumps and bumps like Bounty on kitchen spills, while the electrically actuated anti-roll bars quell any body lean.
While 5,400 pounds of Bentley two-door is a lot to stop, the GT has astonishing brakes that are as effective as tossing out an anchor. Need more, though I can’t imagine why, and you can pay an extra $18,800 for carbon-ceramic stoppers with pizza-sized 17-inch front rotors.
Talking of money, this 2025 Continental GT Speed is priced from $302,000 (the similarly hybridized GTC Convertible starts at $332,000). Talk to the folks at Bentley’s Mulliner bespoke atelier though—18-carat gold-plated vent controls anyone?—and you could add easily another $50k to the sticker.
Think of it as the price of perfection. I’ll start saving now.
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