First Drive Review
The officer has had enough. Having seen four journalist-driven convertibles breeze by his Police Interceptor at velocities between 80 and 95 mph, he motions Bentley PR’s own rapidly approaching Flying Spur to pull over. We hear the story later: “How many cars were in the group?” he demanded to know and followed that with a warning that “the next one will pay.”
Right now, the Flying Spur and the Crown Vic are two spots on the roadside. Our senses are on high alert as we approach the scene; we drive by at precisely 65 mph—likely setting a land-speed slowness record for Bentleys today. Expecting that the officer will be occupied delivering his lecture for some time, we recheck the rearview mirror and confirm that we remain unpursued. Ahead of the sculpted hood, which covers a 616-hp, twin-turbocharged W-12, the Amargosa Desert lies in surreal beauty. It pulls us in.
The Bentley Continental GT Speed convertible—that’s the full name—is capable of a drag-limited 202 mph. It can cruise along at triple-digit velocities all day. This is the fastest four-seat convertible in the world; actually, it’s one of the fastest series-production cars ever built, faster than a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG or BMW M6. It charges to 100 mph in fewer than 10 seconds.
None of the Continentals is exactly underpowered, but the Speed version reestablishes a comfortable distance from the entry-level V-8, something the regular W-12 fails to accomplish. Increased turbo boost elevates power from the W-12’s 567 horsepower to 616 in the Speed. Maximum torque rises from 516 lb-ft to 590.
The eight gears of the Bentley's impressive ZF 8HP transmission can be selected manually through column-mounted paddle shifters or via the centrally mounted gear selector, which unfortunately requires you to push it away to upshift and pull it toward you for downshifts. The eight ratios certainly keep a driver busy. The fiddling never ends, until you—with some degree of humiliation—concede that the gearbox knows better anyway. But there are tangible benefits of having eight speeds: Highway fuel economy is estimated at 20 mpg, although any uphill stretches and/or forceful acceleration sends mileage plummeting.
The 616-hp Speed sounds even more impressive than the regular W-12, and the soundtrack can be further enhanced by selecting the transmission’s Manual or Sport mode. The difference can be recognized easily even at idle, and depending on engine load and speed, the exhaust note oscillates between a growling bass and a bloodcurdling wail.
