The debut of the 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed, billed as the fastest Bentley ever, comes in with a top speed of 205 miles an hour. The new GT Speed has an acceleration time clocked by Bentley itself at four seconds to 60 miles an hour, certainly in super car company.
The Continental, an exotic high performance ultra-luxury coupe, is Bentley’s best-selling car, and it comes in eight variations. There’s the GT, GT Speed and GT Supersports, each in coupe and convertible models. All of them have 12-cylinder engines and all-wheel drive, and each sells for somewhere north and south of a quarter of a million dollars, including bespoke (that is, custom) options that also are aimed at keeping exclusivity-oriented buyers titillated.
When Bentley brags about the new GT Speed’s speed, it’s talking about a machine with that maximum of 205 miles an hour. It’s a rare something you might be able to attain on an aircraft runway, a deserted stretch of Germany’s autobahn or a racetrack with a long straightaway. But mostly it’s a bragging rights and feel-good thing, just knowing you could do it.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: 2013 Bentley GT Speed two-door coupe.
Engine: 6.0-liter W12, twin turbochargers, 616 horsepower.
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic with manual shift mode.
Base price, including destination charge: $217,725.
Price as tested, including destination charge and $3,000 gas-guzzler tax: $257,215
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