Bentley has unveiled its new Continental GT Speed, which has set a new record by reaching its electrified top speed of 208mph ‘underwater’, driving through the world’s longest and deepest underwater road tunnel.
Hailed as “the most powerful Bentley ever”, the British-built fourth-generation grand tourer is also one of the greenest Bentleys ever to hit the road.
The Continental GT Speed plug-in hybrid petrol-electric coupe, which costs from £236,600, and its £259,500 GTC Speed convertible sibling, have just been launched simultaneously – and for the first time in Continental model history – with order books open now ahead of first deliveries. in autumn.
Bentley has set a new top speed record, although “it has not been formally attempted before”, by driving through the Ryfylke Tunnel in the Norwegian county of Rogaland at 330 km/h.
At 8.9 miles long, it is the longest underwater tunnel in the world and also the deepest of any type in the world, descending to 292 meters below sea level.
Riding on 22-inch wheels, both redesigned two-door, four-seat variants are described as “ultra-performance hybrids” that combine a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 gasoline engine with a powerful electric motor that also gives you up to 50 miles of emissions. -Free exclusively electric motor.
Highlighting a 19 per cent increase in power on the outgoing model, Bentley said: “This makes the new Continental GT Speed the most powerful Bentley ever created.”
To make a splash, Bentley set out to set a new speed record “that had never been formally attempted before” in the Ryfylke Tunnel in the Norwegian county of Rogaland: at 8.9 miles long, the longest underwater tunnel in the world and also the deepest of any kind in the world. descending to 292 meters below sea level.
Running on second-generation biofuel and charged with electricity from a renewable source, the new Continental GT Speed accelerated from a standstill to its top speed of 330 km/h in 33 seconds.
Bentley noted that the record attempt was carried out with the help of both the Norwegian Highway Authority and the police, adding: “Several sequences were completed for filming, thus establishing a new unofficial speed record for a car. in a tunnel.”
He added that before the attempt: “Rounds of engineering analysis and simulation evaluated the airflow around the car at high speed in a closed tube to ensure safety.”
Hailed as “the most powerful Bentley ever”, the British-built fourth-generation grand tourer is also one of the greenest Bentleys ever to hit the road.
The Continental GT Speed are called “ultra-performance hybrids.” They are powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 gasoline engine mated to a powerful electric motor that also gives them up to 50 miles of zero-emissions electric-only driving.
What’s new for the 2024 Bentley Continental?
Will it fit in my garage? Bentley Continental GT Speed coupe
Price: from £236,600 (from £259,500 for Continental GTC Speed convertible)
On sale: now First deliveries: autumn
Built: Crewe, England
Doors: 2 Seating: 4
Propulsion: gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid
Engine: 4.0 liter 600 HP biturbo V8
Electric motor: 140 kW (190 hp)
Total power: 782 horsepower
Gears: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Drive: All wheel drive
Wheels: 22 inches
Fuel capacity: 80 liters
Hybrid battery: 25.9 kWh
Loading time:
Fast charger: 2¾ hours
Home wall charger: 8 and 1/2 hours
Turning radius: 11.3m
Length: 4,895mm
Broad: 2,187mm
Whole body width: 1,966mm
Distance between axis: 2,851mm
Height: 1,397mm
Empty weight: 2,459 kilograms
Acceleration (0-62mph): 3.2 seconds
Average MPG: 27.4mpg
Autonomy E only with electrical energy: 50 miles
CO2 emissions: 29g/km
Management area: up to 534 miles
Boot volume: 260 liters
The two new Continental grand tourers are powered by a powerful 782 hp plug-in hybrid setup that combines a 600 hp 4.0-liter biturbo V8 gasoline engine with a 190 hp (140 kW) electric motor (the difference in power total is reduced to a small degree). of “leaks”) with a 25.9 kW battery mounted behind the rear axle.
That combination propels the Continental GT Speed coupe from 0 to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds, to 100 mph in 6.9 seconds, on to a top speed of 208 mph.
Power is delivered through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (with manual paddle override) to all four wheels.
The convertible version of the Continental GTC is just a fraction of a second behind those times, accelerating from rest to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and to 160 km/h in 7.2 seconds. Its top speed of 177 mph is about 50 mph slower.
However, with the advantage of wind-in-your-hair motorization, the convertible’s seven-arch fabric roof system, available in seven exterior colors including tweed, can deploy in 19 seconds and at speeds of up to 30 mph.
Bentley notes: “An all-new 400-volt electrical architecture enables a luxury car brand to deliver the most advanced suite of propulsion technology available today.”
The new plug-in hybrids replace the outgoing GT Speed with its mammoth 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 petrol engine.
Although it uses greener technology, the new Continental GT Speed plug-in hybrid coupe averages just 44 km/h (although this is still an improvement) and CO2 emissions have been reduced to 29 g/km.
That said, all-electric mode can be used at speeds of up to 147 km/h and 75 percent acceleration.
The battery can be fully charged in less than three hours (2 and ¾ hours) with a rapid charger, or in about eight and a half hours with a home charger.
Its total range of 534 miles is enough to get you from London to St Andrews golf course in Scotland in comfort and style, or just before Aberdeen, although 50 miles of that trip could be done in quiet, emissions-free electric mode. .
But the power of petrol means there are no range worries when it comes to finding a charging point along the way.
The GTC Speed convertible is only slightly behind with an electric-only range of 48 miles, average fuel consumption of 26.6 mpg and CO2 emissions of 31 g/km, and a range of 521 miles.
The Continental GTC convertible is a fraction slower than the coupe, but still accelerates from rest to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and to 100 mph in 7.2 seconds. Its top speed of 177 mph is about 50 mph slower than the hardtop model.
The convertible’s seven-arch fabric roof system, available in seven exterior colors including tweed, can deploy in 19 seconds and at speeds up to 30 mph.
Inside, the four-seater cabin offers the option of ‘wellness seat technology’ and new air ionization for a more relaxed and refreshing drive, 3D leather, new padding and a dark chrome finish.
With 260 liters of boot space, the Bentley has the same luggage capacity as a supermini, making it ideal for weekend trips across the continent.
Bentley says: ‘The system manages the flow of energy depending on the mode chosen: EV, electric boost. Regenerative braking and, most importantly for this new GT Speed, a charging mode where the motor drives the wheels and charges the battery at the same time.’
Inside, the four-seater interior offers the option of ‘wellness seat technology’ and new air ionization for a more relaxed and refreshing drive, 3D leather, new padding and a dark chrome finish. High levels of custom options, including those on its Mulliner tonearm, mean “a virtually unlimited number of possible configurations,” he says.
The new models continue to feature Bentley’s innovative 12.3-inch three-sided rotating display.
Ambient lighting can be chosen from 30 colors.
The new Continental GTs continue to be manufactured at what Bentley now calls its ‘Dream Factory’ in Crewe. The carmaker, now part of German giant Volkswagen Group, said 68 percent of components were new compared to the outgoing model.
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