Discover Bentley’s new 208 mph 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 car maker.

The Volkswagen-owned company unveiled the 2022 Continental GT Speed ​​on Tuesday, a new performance version of its best-selling car. Bentley is calling the vehicle “the most capable and performance-focused Bentley ever.”

The car is expected to cost about $ 274,900 when it hits stores in the United States and Europe in the third quarter, followed by other markets in the fourth quarter.

The two-door performance car features a 6.0-liter 12-cylinder engine rated at 650 horsepower and 664 foot-pounds of torque. The car runs 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Its top speed is 208 mph, according to the automaker. Performance is slightly better than the Bentley Continental GT and Continental GT convertible with the same engine. It also features additional performance parts and adjustments, officials said.

“The new Continental GT Speed ​​represents the pinnacle of great touring performance,” said Matthias Rabe, head of engineering at Bentley, in a statement.

The third generation Continental GT Speed ​​may be one of the last, if not the last, non-electrified version of the car. Bentley plans to offer exclusively plug-in hybrid or battery-powered electric vehicles by 2026, and all-electric vehicles only until 2030.

“This is a big change for a company that grew up with 6.75-liter engines and W12 engines,” said Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark during an event for the media. “We know that the legislation, the customer’s taste and the characteristics of battery-powered electric transmissions fit perfectly with Bentley’s strategy, so we are very excited about it.”

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

Bentley sold 11,206 vehicles in 2020 – despite the closure of its factory in England for seven weeks during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last spring. He led the company’s record of 11,006 units in 2019. The Bentley Continental GT and Continental GT Convertible together account for 39% of its sales.