In this day and age of electrification, V8 engines (and anything with even more cylinders and larger displacements) are slowly fading into oblivion. We saw the demise of Bentley’s wonderfully bonkers and stupendously complicated W12, an engine only the engineering-obsessed Germans could have imagined, ride off into the sunset.
Is there any hope left for those of us who are addicted to the sound, the smell, and the sensations provided by internal combustion engines?
Once again, Bentley serves up an elegantly simple solution. All the ingredients were already available within the larger Volkswagen-Audi parent organization; it’s an obvious answer. Electrify a V8, add some turbos, and get the best of both worlds.
Introducing the Bentley Continental GT Speed, decked out in a special and limited First Edition Trim. The First Edition includes unique interior features and equipment which include the animated welcome lamps by Mulliner, First Edition Treadplates and embroidered First Edition trim on the seats.
Essentially a heavy rework of the Continental platform, the latest Continental gets Bentley’s new face (single oval headlights in lieu of the previous double headlamps on either side), mildly reworked front and rear bumpers, jewel-like tail lights, and a cleaner boot with the removal of the pop-up spoiler.
The interior’s in-car electronics have been updated, and new trim is available for the interior. There’s a digital instrument cluster, and a new digital rotating screen for the infotainment system. A high-fidelity NAIM surround sound system with a total of 2,200 watts of amplified output, delivering clean and clear aural enjoyment through its 18-speaker system. Should you be stuck in traffic or pootling around in EV-mode, the bassy V8’s soundtrack absent, then you can finally enjoy your music selection. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, then.
Crucially, the biggest change is the powertrain: a new hybridized twin-turbo V8 powerplant which delivers more of the good things and less of the bad: more power (771hp) and torque (a shade under 1,000 Newton-meters of twist action), lower emissions, better fuel efficiency, less weight in the nose, plus, of course, far less complexity than the previous W12 engine. It weighs in at 2,459 kg, an increase of almost 182 kg over its predecessor, or the rough equivalent of two male adults, due to the hybrid equipment. Thankfully, the electric bits are placed in the rear, blessing the Continental GT with a near 50:50 front-rear weight distribution. The modular 4-liter V8 engine, shared with corporate siblings Porsche (Panamera and Cayenne), Audi (RS6 and RS Q8) and Lamborghini (Urus) is a mighty powerful engine, one of the best bent eights today that deliver amazing power and reliability with a good dose of efficiency from its hotside-inside twin-turbo V8 configuration.
Despite the weight, the big, bad Bentley obliterates the 0-100 km/h sprint in a very scant 3.2 seconds, all the way to a 335 km/h top speed. In sunny Singapore, validating all these performance metrics is illegal, thus relegating the info to academic. Cross over to Malaysia and maybe have a bit more leeway?
Hence, we tried out Bentley’s all-electric mode, which promises a range of 80 km from its 25.9 kWh battery. Even its all-electric 140 km/h top speed is inaccessible in Singapore! One moment all is quiet, like a monastery. But as the timer on the stoplight warns of an impeding red, we give the bentley some beans and the V8 roars into life, like an angry Supermarine Spitfire (or a Messerschmitt?) bellowing into life, the bassy V8 announcing its presence. And with it, even more torque as the Bentley accelerates like a bat out of hell.
Utilizing the full potential of the hybrid powertrain, the Bentley feels like a jumbo jet accelerating full tilt, fully laden down the runway, with you riding first class or, better yet, in a Private Suite, as I experienced on a deserted road in some industrial area on the fringes of Singapore. Short but sweet, and definitely worth it. Indeed, while horsepower sells cars, torque wins races. Caution is needed as enjoying its performance will land you in jail, especially in heavily restricted and constantly monitored Singapore roads.
The interior very much feels first class: the perforated and quilted/diamond-pattern-
On the move, the Bentley feels regal. It doesn’t shout its arrival but rather announces its entrance. Loud, brash supercars fall silent in the presence of true royalty. No wonder Bentley holds a Royal Warrant (essentially, a recognition of long-term relationship) from King Charles III of the House of Windsor.
Recently, a friend and his family underwent a ~2,000-kilometer road trip in a sportscar from Singapore to Bangkok, Thailand and back, and the experience was truly eye-opening for them. A truly grand tour.
I feel the Bentley would have made for a much more comfortable ride through the Indochina and Malay peninsulas with its amazing adaptive adjustable air suspension, the excellent NVH isolation inside the cabin filtering out the world and allowing you to focus on the drive, or your thoughts. Or perhaps both.
In the afternoon rush hour on Singapore’s AYE (Ayer Rajah Expressway to you and me), traffic kept us at a constant 70-80 km/h, but the continental felt calm and composed. Traditional sports cars dislike these low-speed driving conditions, proving that the Bentley would make for an excellent daily driver. Its presence was so regal that the cars and its occupants around us (mostly fellow European marques) were staring, pointing, and gawking at the handsome Continental. At the time I drove the Continental, this was only the third example in the country. Rare indeed.
Then there’s a sense of heft, which fits the Bentley’s rather old-world charm, where men were men, moved with purpose and style, with understated elegance being the norm rather than trashy hype. The steering is well-weighted, the throttle precise and metered well. The doors were heavy, like a bank vault’s doors, emphasizing the feeling of solidity, stability and quality. The massive brakes are another serous piece of kit: pedal effort feels substantial (in a good way), easily modulated, and perfectly progressive. Sadly, there was no chance to get the massive 10-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers with equally enormous 440mm front brake rotors (available in steel or carbon ceramic discs) up to any sort of proper operating temperature to really test their mettle.
Our route consisted of trying to find some tight areas to try out the Bentley’s maneuverability: at Gilman Barracks to shoot some photos before heading out to AYE to find some nice winding roads, then back to Dempsey Hill for more photos and finally back to Wearnes Group’s Bentley Showroom near Alexandra. On typical driveways, and being right-hand drive, finessing the Bentley Continental GT to fit through tight gaps was truly daunting, considering this particular Bentley cost a shade under $2 Million Singapore Dollars with taxes and COE, the equivalent of Php90 Million Pesos, or a very decent home in the many posh suburban subdivisions down south. Sadly, we had limited time and traffic was not cooperatingg. Ultimately, the Bentley is in its element on long open roads and high speeds.
Overall, the bold and beautiful Bentley is a mature, refined, and more comfortable sporting GT. It will do fine in a B-road blast, but the weight will always make its presence felt. I’ve driven previous iterations on the German Alps in the past and the added traction afforded by the all-wheel drive system is surprisingly very good, helping stability and control, as well as enjoyment immensely and in most cases compensating for its considerable heft.
Should you prefer to drive to your destination rather than fly (a good number of Bentley owners will own aircraft) in comfort and opulence, the Bentley is perfect, dispatching miles upon miles of road with ease and elegance.