2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed
Posted on 12.27.07 9:14PM under Bentley
Well, Bentley has rectified that situation by creating the 2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed, a special variant meant to recall Bentley Speed models of yore and one that has been engineered to achieve 203 mph.
More power spews from the Speed??™s twin-turbo 12-cylinder engine than that of any other Bentley ever made, and its 602 horsepower at 6000 rpm represents an eye-meltingly large increase of 50 horsepower over the base Conti GT. You can credit increased airflow, a recalibrated ECU, lighter connecting rods, and decreased internal friction for the extra power, which Bentley claims will send the GT Speed to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds??”quite a feat for a car that weighs nearly as much as a couple of houses.
But creating a Speed model, which has traditionally been the highest performance Bentley since the moniker??™s introduction on the 3.0-liter Bentley in 1923, requires more than just fiddling under the hood. The steering has been retuned, and the suspension is revised with a dropped ride height, more aggressive spring and shock settings, and stiffer anti-roll bars.
The Speed??™s 20-inch wheels are 0.5 inch wider than the base GT??™s 9.0-inch-wide wheels, and they wear 275/35 Pirelli P Zero rubber all around. (The lesser car has optional 275/30 20-inch rubber.)
Regular GTs also get a few changes for 2008, including revised shocks and a claimed 80-pound weight reduction from lightening suspension components and the cooling system. Power for that model remains at 552 horsepower, and top speed stays at the, ahem, rather pedestrian 198-mph figure.
All GTs will now be available with optional carbon-composite brakes, too, a feature sure to add even further to those hefty commission checks that now await you, our faithful Bentley speed merchant, as discerning drivers discover the allure of a Flying B that can finally rocket past the double-century mark.
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