A W-12 engine, 650 horses, carbon ceramic brakes, and a drop-top define this new flagship convertible model from Bentley
by Sidd Dhimaan, on LISTEN 05:32Bentley recently unveiled the most driver-centric, drop-top Continental GT model to have ever come out of the Crewe manufacturer’s plant – the Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible. The GT Speed Convertible comes with many cues inside out the differentiate it from the other topless models in the model’s portfolio. There are many new mechanical features here that further cement its positioning as the flagship convertible GT model. Need we say more?
-
2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible
-
Year:2022
-
Make:
-
Model:
-
Engine:W-12
-
Transmission:Eight-speed Automatic
-
Horsepower @ RPM:650
-
Torque @ RPM:664
-
Energy:Gas
-
Displacement:6.0 L
-
0-60 time:3.6 sec.
-
Price:300000 (Est.)
-
Price:
-
car segment:
-
Purpose:
-
body style:
Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible Exterior
The highlight of the car is, of course, the roof. The ‘Z-Fold’ roof can be deployed or stowed away in just 19 seconds. It comes with unique, model-exclusive detailing like Speed sport sills, dark tint grille, and Speed badging. Bentley will offer the car with three different finishes for their 22-inch forged Speed wheels – Dark Tint, Bright Silver, Black Gloss. The roof is also offered seven different exterior shades. Other touches include full LED headlights and taillights, jewel fuel and oil filler caps, and stainless steel tailpipes.
The Continental GT Speed Convertible is 190.9 inches long, 86.1 inches wide, and 55.1 inches tall. The wheelbase measures 112.2 inches. It isn’t a light vehicle by any means and weighs 6,316 pounds.
| Length | 190.9 inches |
|---|---|
| Width | 86.1 inches |
| Height | 55.1 inches |
| Wheelbase | 112.2 inches |
Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible Interior
The handcrafted cabin is unique and looks super-classy. The Alcantara steering wheel and the ‘Speed’ insignia on the passenger side finished in leather reek of luxury. If this doesn’t float your boat, you can choose between 15 main and 11 secondary hide choices. The interior roof can also be customized and you get to choose between eight different colors - Magnolia, Camel, Light Grey, Grey, New Blue, Saddle, Beluga, or Red.
The four-seater comes with a diamond-in-diamond quilt design. The gear lever is finished in Alcantara and chrome. The veneer comes in a Piano Black finish but it will be a fingerprint magnet. The treadplates on the inside are stainless steel with ‘Speed’ inscription, whereas the outer sills are illuminated with ‘Bentley’ written on them.
On the tech front, the car comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It’s a rotating display. For the uninitiated, Bentley spent three developing something known as a Rotating Display. It is a perfect loophole to keep the tech-heads and the purists happy. The Display is a three-side rotating unit that houses a 12.3-inch touchscreen system on one side, three analog gauges on the other, and a plain veneer on the third side. It comes with a 650W 10-speaker sound system as standard, but you can also upgrade it to a ‘Naim for Bentley Sound System’ that gives you a more enhanced and immersive experience courtesy of a 2200W 18-speaker setup with two shakers.
Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible Drivetrain
Powering this beast is a W-12, twin-turbocharged engine that displaces at six liters. It churns out 650 ponies between 5,000- and 6,000 rpm, and 664 pound-feet of torque between 1,500- and 5,000 rpm. The engine is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and an all-wheel-drive system.
Since all the oomph is available right from 1,500 rpm, this heavyweight pulls quickly off the line and takes just 3.6 seconds to 60 mph. The top speed is rated at 208 mph.
| Engine | 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W-12 |
|---|---|
| Horsepower | 650 HP @ 5,000-6,000 RPM |
| Torque | 664 LB-FT @ 1,500- 5,000 RPM |
| Transmission | dual-clutch, eight-speed automatic |
| 0 to 60 mph | 3.6 seconds |
| Top Speed | 208 mph |
The convertible Bentley can be had with a new Carbon Ceramic brake system. This is not a standard feature, though. It comes with Carbon Silicon Carbide discs for a firm brake pedal feel, additional brake bite, and stronger brake fade resistance. The system comes with 10-piston calipers at the front and four-piston at the rear. On the non-convertible model, the carbon-ceramic material has shaved 73 pounds over the conventional setup. It could be the same here too.
The Continental GT Speed Convertible features an advanced chassis technology. To make it nimble and peppy at high speeds, it comes with a new electronic all-wheel steering system. How the technology works is, the rear tires turn in the opposite direction to make the ride feel sharper. Whereas at high speeds the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels for improved stability.
The car also comes with a three-chamber active air suspension with adaptive damping. It features a motorized 48-volt active anti-roll control system and anti-roll bar to prevent a body roll.
The system can generate up to 959 pound-feet of resistance in just 0.3 seconds to counter the cornering forces and keep the body stable.
As is with most of the big engines, the GT Speed Convertible also comes with a start-stop technology that supposedly maximizes efficiency. There’s also Bentley’s Variable Displacement system that shuts down six cylinders and its Intake and exhaust valves, fuel injection, and ignition, again, for efficiency purposes.
Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible Pricing
The prices are not revealed, but the Continental GT Speed Convertible will be priced in the ballpark of $300,000.
