After 35 miles of an efficiency drive in the 2026 Bentley Continental GT Speed, it’s burning in my mind that the plug-in hybrid battery is running out of juice. There are winding roads ahead and I can’t wait to unleash the sound and fury of this beautiful British beast.
During my electric drive, the car effectively had 188 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque from an engine housed in the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It runs almost silently on pure electricity as long as I don’t press more than 75 percent of the accelerator pedal travel or reach 140 km/h. I manage to avoid triggering either eventuality and find that the engine has enough boost to keep up with traffic and accelerate to highway speeds. The silent ride seems appropriate for this ultra-luxurious grand tourer, but I know there’s another, more sinister side to this plug-in hybrid.
After driving 60 kilometers using only electricity, the power finally goes out. That’s 10 miles less than the instrument cluster showed before my run, but 13 miles more than the EPA-rated range of 30 miles with the 25.9 kWh battery (Bentley says 80 percent of that is usable).
Now the fun begins. The 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 starts with a deep and determined growl as the powertrain shifts from EV mode to hybrid mode. The motor is still available to assist the engine and provide torque for replenishment at the line and during shifting of the smooth and fast acting transmission. But I take it a step further and switch from the base Bentley driving mode to Sport mode, which not only uses the electric motor but also charges the engine on overrun to recharge the battery. Over 55 miles in Sport mode, an additional charge of 14 miles is added.
With the engine in the mix, the Continental GT Speed delivers numbers that far eclipse the 650 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque of the previous generation’s W12 powertrain. Total output is 771 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful Bentley ever.
The power is generally well controlled and only appears sharply when I press the accelerator pedal in the same way. From a standstill, it accelerates the Continental GT Speed to 60 miles per hour in just under 3.1 seconds, which is about the same as the last model due to the weight added by the hybrid system. If I had the space and the will, it could keep going up to 208 miles per hour. I miss both, but thanks to the standard all-wheel drive, the power gets to the pavement efficiently and builds up tirelessly. With gasoline, the EPA rates the GT Speed at 19 mpg combined, and that seems to be borne out by the 21.5 mpg I averaged over 165 miles of driving with about 60 miles of electric driving.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain certainly makes the GT Speed fast, but it also adds some unwanted weight. This car weighs a hefty 5,421 pounds, about 370 pounds more than the last-generation model with its heavy W12. That means the Continental GT Speed looks more like a grand tourer than a sports car more than ever. However, Bentley does everything it can to manage the weight and provide responsive handling. The suspension starts with aluminum double wishbones at the front and an aluminum multi-link structure at the rear. It builds on this with adaptive dampers and square air springs. It also features active anti-roll bars, rear-axle steering and an electric limited-slip differential.
All the technology does its job quite well. The Continental GT Speed feels wide and planted on the road, with sharp, heavy steering that exudes stability. The active anti-roll bars ensure a rather flat cornering response, the Pirelli P Zero tires measuring 275/35R22 at the front and 305/30R22 at the rear grip well, and the car turns willingly, without the thrust that I would expect given the weight. That’s likely due to the near-perfect 49/51 front-to-rear weight balance achieved by mounting the battery in the trunk area, where it takes up some of the cargo space. The E-Diff, rear torque vectoring and all-wheel drive system efficiently reduce power mid-corner and exit, while rear-axle steering contributes to stability in fast corners and shortens the turning radius by turning up to 4.1 degrees relative to the front wheels.
When it’s time to slow down the GT Speed, Bentley’s got me covered too, with a huge set of 16.9-inch ventilated front brake discs clamped by 10-piston calipers and 15-inch rear brake discs with six-piston calipers. That’s a lot of curved braking surface, but if you want to test those 200 mph speeds, you might want to spend another $18,820 on my test vehicle’s carbon ceramic brakes, which increase the rotor size to 17.3 inches at the front and 16.1 inches at the rear.
The performance and handling are a delight, but so is the cabin. Bentley is a purveyor of some of the finest interiors on the market, and the Continental GT Speed doesn’t disappoint. It comes standard with 20-way power front seats with quilted leather upholstery, heating, ventilation and massage and features beautiful, lovingly hand-assembled materials. Technical features include a digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen.
My tester also features an impressive 2,200-watt, 18-speaker Naim audio system as part of the $50,940 First Edition specification, which also includes the cool three-way rotating center screen, front seats that automatically adjust their posture and climate settings, a variety of lighting elements and several “First Edition” insignia. However, the back seat remains a punishment box for two children or a pair of sadomasochistic adults.
The Continental GT Speed starts at $306,250, including a hefty $4,150 destination charge. However, my test car has $86,000 worth of options, bringing the total to $392,735. Aside from the brakes, most of the options are cosmetic, including First Edition trim, some black exterior trim, and a Mulliner color option. Once the price of a car reaches the average home price, option prices no longer matter as much as your heart’s desires.
Switching from a W12 to a plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain makes the 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed more efficient and taps into a calmer side, but when you get behind the wheel, be sure to experience its extroverted, sinister side too.
Images: Bentley
