Bentley Continental GTC Speed 2025 review – huge power, huge weight, huge price

An unenviable task faces the dynamic accompaniment of the newly hybridised Bentley Continental GTC Speed. That of affording a 2636kg land yacht the kind of performance, control, agility and interactivity for it to face off competition from the much lighter Aston Martin DB12 Volante, Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo and whatever is to replace the Ferrari Roma Spider.

Then, at the turn of a rotary control, it has to be able to deliver on the flying B that adorns its snout, rump and floating wheel centre caps. It has to be able to give all of the above rivals a thorough drubbing, as a refined, comfortable grand touring car, from which you must be able to emerge after a cross-continental stride having suffered the least possible fatigue. Mission Impossible? Bentley does big engineering well, so a bet against Crewe might be unwise. To find out what’s what, we took the new Continental GTC – appropriately trimmed on the inside in ‘Cumbrian Green’ – on a 1000-mile road trip, up to the Scottish borders.

Happily, it still has all the presence and visual cues a Bentley should, that not even the slightly dull hue of our car could diminish. Gone though the twin lights at the front may be, the new lamps are jewel-like, even if the flat DRLs don't have the distinctive crystalline appearance of those on the previous generation. The Bentley grille is bigger than ever and those swooping rear haunches are still so distinctive.

Engine, performance and 0-62mph time

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Electrified powertrains create vicious circles and the new Ultra Performance Hybrid system in Bentley’s latest lineup is no exception. Yes, a combined 771bhp and 738lb ft courtesy of an electrically-augmented 4-litre twin-turbo V8 is quite enough to be getting on with, but the 25.9kWh battery that feeds the in-transmission electric motor contributes almost 200kg to an inflated kerb weight that better befits the spec sheet of a Range Rover, than a two-door drophead.

The performance numbers speak of not only the most powerful Bentley yet, but also the most accelerative. The GTC Speed will get from 0-62mph in 3.4sec, on the way to a limited 177mph top speed. That last figure is curious, given Bentley has in the past been happy to take the title of fastest four-seat convertible with 200+mph GTCs.

The number you think of most when you call on all its torque and power is the power-to-weight ratio. The shove in the back is substantial, yes, if not indicative of having over a third more torque (with that instant hybrid response) than the GranCabrio Trofeo. That’s because the Bentley has a power-to-weight figure that’s single-figures higher than the Italian, while being less than 30lb ft-per-ton up too. The result is that while the Bentley is ludicrously performant, it’s not hypercar-alike as the raw figures might have suggested.

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Flat-footing it does deliver a proper shunt though, at almost any speed, but especially from a standstill. Happily, it’s also extraordinarily responsive, in a way only electrified and highly-strung naturally-aspirated powertrains are. A sudden stab of the throttle for an overtake yields an immediate 332lb ft shove from the e-motor. This is odd at first; out of step with the sound the car’s making, because it’s delivered before the V8’s wide-open-throttle performance and consequently, its sound, is bled in.

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Once it does, the V8’s presence is undeniable, with an almost Veyron-like multi-cylinder throb and boom when in Sport. An ironic comparison, given this hybrid powertrain takes the place of the W12-cylinder that's now retired from Bentleys after over two decades in service. 

Bentley’s made much of the fact these new PHEVs don’t pump in a fake sound, instead flaunting an au naturel V8 thump. The eight-speed dual-clutch, playable via the knurled but still recognisably VW group-based shift paddles, is reasonably responsive, if not PDK or Ferrari-sharp.

Technical highlights

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Hybridisation is the big story with these new Bentleys and indeed it is impressive, but we’ve covered its performance off above. A few extra detailed points to note: the battery sits beneath the boot floor, creating a favourable 49:51 weight distribution and feeds the e-motor that’s sandwiched between the transmission and the engine. 

Every time you start the car, unless otherwise set-up, your journey begins under silent all-electric power – convenient for not annoying neighbours and not drinking your tank dry in city traffic. Only a twist of that rotary dial into ‘Sport’ wakes the V8 with a thumping rumble. As well as driving the car silently for up to 45 miles (officially, we saw 25-35 in mixed driving), the e-motor also starts the V8 instead of a traditional starter motor. 

The car will charge itself, albeit at a gradual pace, with us seeing about 10 indicated miles being added over the course of a 45-minute spirited drive. Sit still in ‘charge’ and you’ll see a high idle from the V8, over 1100rpm. Plug it into a fast charger and it’ll fill from zilch in 2hr 45min. The V8 also gets a new higher-pressure fuel system and sturdier, simpler single-scroll turbos that aren’t so on the hook for low-end performance and response.

The subhead for the new Bentleys including the GTC Speed is, however, the suspension. All-new adaptive two-valve dampers work with new two-chamber air springs to give the car a greater breadth of ability, with a softer, smoother ride in Comfort and more focus in Sport. Augmenting these are 48-volt active anti-roll bars, active all-wheel-steering and a limited-slip e-diff at the rear.

Ride and handling

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The result is at times an aloof, synthetic experience and others, awe-inspiring and oddly engaging. The Speed lives up to its name, inhaling vast sweeping A roads without fuss, drama or, much of a sense of occasion, as a Bentley should. 

Curl your right toe and the scenery blurs as the USS Continental seemingly engages a warp drive. The GTC is able to carve across without a sweat all but the more technical sections of the A684 to Hawes at a near-motorway canter. You’d better be ready to glide across to the pedal on the left at a moment’s notice, though, because it’s never long before next sleepy Dales village and a corresponding 30 sign hove into view.

When the time comes, the enormous 420mm (front) and 380mm (rear) iron disc brakes clamped by 10-piston (front) and four-piston (rear) calipers conspire to square root the numbers on the digital dash in a matter of moments. Pedal feel and modulation is okay, with occasional steps and inconsistencies in action vs retardation, thanks to the regenerative engine braking. You really don’t need much more on the road, though there are optional carbon ceramics. 

On anything but the cleanest surface on a warm summer’s day, it’s in moments of rapid deceleration that the car’s mass sneaks back into your mind’s eye. Especially on a trail brake, you can feel the vast 275 (front) and 315 (rear) section Pirelli tyres grasping at the surface, struggling to not let the Bentley’s timber run away with it. This is a car that hides its mass extraordinarily well but the laws of physics are what they are and that battery under the boot floor can feel pendulous at times.

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Oddly enough, the Bentley is at its most dynamically impressive and engaging at slower speeds, on more technical routes. The adaptive dampers tautened in Sport mode conspire with the air springs and anti-roll bars to afford this truly vast vehicle immense control. Meanwhile, the rear-steering works with the eager rear differential to give the Bentley scarcely believable agility, its turn-in response utterly at odds with how big and heavy you know it is.

The steering isn’t exactly bristling with sinews of feel but like the rest of the car’s technical arsenal, it’s so well calibrated that intuition very quickly takes over. Before long, you’re experimenting with using the power to activate the rear end with the diff, nudging its backside outward and the nose inward. Get overzealous with globs of throttle and you’ll get crossed-up too. All of this goads you into a give and take with the Speed, as you gradually up the pace and aggression. 

The dynamic ceiling comes eventually and it’s actually the floor… of the car, which starts to get intimate with the road surfaces as the air springs and dampers struggle to stop its mass short of the bump stops across undulating sections of North Pennine B road. You’ll be really enjoying a flowing section before an unceremonious graunch takes you out of it at speeds well below what the tyres can handle during a lateral movement.

There are odd trademark convertible creaks and bends, but they are borderline imperceptible when not really pushing on, especially with the roof up. Roof down, there's just a fraction more shimmy through the wheel. The GTC’s weight does figure into the equation, though, given it does carry almost 200kg extra even over the 2459kg coupe.

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As above, awareness of the weight doesn’t so much come with any heave or roll, but when the car reaches its vertical limits and when the mass begins to carry the car when beyond the limits of grip. Anything over seven-tenths isn’t really the use case for these boulevard cruisers so if you’re in the market, much more focused, finely-honed (and often much lighter) supercars and sports cars are what you need. All the same, the Bentley is incredibly impressive for what it is, even if you hang on in awe rather than indulge in the sensations of driving it. 

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Then again, if you look at it with the brief of a Bentley in mind, that's exactly the point. This is a tool with which to cover great distances with as much ease as possible, the car isolating you from the harshness of the outside world and ensconcing you in wood, sumptuous leather, heated surfaces and gusts of air everywhere you look, and outstanding quality audio. 

The ride at speed is nicely isolating, if not magic carpet-smooth. The big 22-inch wheels will thump imperfections in the road and let you know about it and needless to say, things get busier when in Sport mode. There’s probably a bit more wind roar than in a coupe, too and a whistle or two that goes away not too long after you’ve put the top back up.

Interior and tech

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Bentley has got away with not fundamentally updating the cabin from the last Continental. It simply didn't need it – it's a beautifully designed and appointed place in which to find yourself and doesn’t feel a step behind any of its key rivals. 

The seats are generally supportive enough and just deliciously cushioned – perfect for isolating you from the wear and tear of long-distance lunges. There’s even a wellness programme where the car will examine how you’re sitting and seemingly at random, push ‘postural adjustments’ through the massagers in the seats, that ease pressure points and remind you to adjust your seating position. You’d think it was a gimmick, but it actually works.

There’s a new driver’s display, with a nice selection of different layout options, from classic dials to a quite technical display. The UI is generally good, though the menu for the safety systems should feature big tiles you can tap without devoting concentration to them, not tiny tick boxes in a list you have to scroll through.

What is pretty atrocious for a car that’s meant to ply a trade in grand touring is the practicality. The boot was always smaller on GTCs and the issue is doubly worsened in this new GTC Speed, given the charging cable bag basically fills what little space was left after the battery under the floor robbed most of it. If you fold up the wind deflector and stuff it in the boot, there’s even less, though that does liberate the token rear seats for bag storage.

2025 Bentley Continental GTC price and rivals

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Everything’s more expensive in 2025 and that goes for high-level convertible super GTs that were already pretty pricey. The new Bentley Continental GTC Speed starts from £259,500. In First Edition spec, with the Mulliner paint, swept-spoke wheels, contrast stitching and more, our test car carried a dizzying list price of £307,630. And you can spend so much more, if you get too ambitious with the near-limitless possibilities that Mulliner offers.

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Still, as is, that’s exactly double what the starting price is for the Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo and £100k more than that of the Aston Martin DB12 Volante. Both are this car’s most fitting rivals – a Vanquish Volante or 12 Cilindri Spider would be odd group test-mates, even if they’re a closer match on price and power. The Bentley trumps them all, if you simply have to have a hybrid. Occasional silent running certainly has its perks.

Obviously, Bentley has launched its new range with the priciest, most performant Speed versions. It stands to reason, lesser models will be along before long that are perhaps not as fast, but certainly not as expensive. A Conti that’s more comfortable with its role as the softer, less sporty option, and for less money to boot, sounds more appealing by comparison to rivals than the Speed is at the moment. All the same, it’s a monstrously impressive thing.