Bentley Continental GTC Speed 2010 road test

Until recently the Bentley Continental GTC Speed was the most powerful convertible Bentley had ever produced and only lost the tag when the range-topping “Supersports” Continental was let off the leash in mid-2010. Building on the success of the Continental GT the “Speed” features the famous W12 6.0-litre Bentley engine but the engineers have managed to increase power from 552bhp to 600bhp, does the Speed live up to its name?

There aren’t many car manufacturers that would collectively sit down and look at an existing model which has a top speed of 195mph, 552 bhp under the bonnet, a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds and think it wasn’t swift enough but these discussions look to have taken place at the Crewe-based prestige car maker. The result of these talks is the Continental GT Speed – available in coupe or convertible form, which features an up-rated engine under that beautiful bonnet. The engine offers 15% more torque and 9% more power than the standard Continental GT, while engine efficiency is optimised by the use of lower friction, lighter-weight components and a new engine management system. Thanks to this power and torque increase, and a 55kg reduction in weight, the GTC Speed is capable of hitting 200mph and 0-62mph time shaves 0.3 seconds off the standard Continental GT at 4.8 seconds. Coupled to the engine is a flawless six-speed automatic transmission. The result is a stunning experience, with almost bottomless well-like reserves of power to be had. Put the pedal to the foot and instantly feel and hear the engine roar, in lesser hands all that power could have been a problem, but the engineers at Bentley are well versed in ensuring all the grunt finds its way to the tarmac, and those majestic 20-inch alloy wheels. The latest versions of the W12 6.0-litre engine have the capability to run on petrol, E85 bioethanol or any mix of the two, all from the single tank. Running the car on E85 can have a significant positive impact on “well-to-wheel” emissions, however at 396g/km, CO2 emissions are among the highest of any production car on UK roads. Fuel consumption isn’t the car’s strong point either, the engine’s thirsty and the car weights near two and a half tonnes, so a combined mpg figure of 17 isn’t going to win the car any economy awards. Frankly though, the Bentley Continental GTC Speed isn’t about frugality, it’s about performance, style and luxury. And on those three criteria the car scores a perfect 5.