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Tripping on Speed?
Luxury on wheels Bentley Continental GT Speed
When I noticed the panic on my co-passenger’s face, I eased the way I was driving. But, frankly, when a person is given the opportunity to drive down an empty mountain road somewhere in sunny Southern Spain in a car that has 600 eager horses, t
he most natural thing to do is to bury your right foot deep into that plush carpet. I was in the new Bentley Continental GT Speed, which is faster, lighter and more responsive than the original Continental GT.
The Continental range has been quite significant to the history of Bentley. The car launched five years ago was the first Bentley to be produced by German giant Volkswagen as until then it was manufactured by Rolls-Royce. In fact, despite concerns that the pure bred British marque might lose its steam given that it is now being produced by the Germans, the Bentley sales actually rose from a 1000 units per year to 6000. Volkswagen, in a wise move did not take away from the Britishness of the car. Still, Teutonic elements of Dirk Van Braeckel’s design were hard to miss when the car was first unveiled five years ago. Even with the new GT Speed, only a few style changes like a more vertical grille and a wider air intake have been implemented, but most the typical features like the wire mesh grille and round lights have been retained.
The original Bentley Continental took car technology to the next level and the new GT Speed carries the same mechanicals. The W12 engine is a classic example of superb engineering and it is essentially an engine with two banks of six cylinders in offset rows. And, this is also the most powerful Bentley to be made as the power has been boosted from 552 to 600bhp. Additional changes include a new engine management system, a revised crankcase to reduce pumping losses, light weight single chains to drive four camshafts and new pistons. However, figures and power aside, it is the way the GT Speed drives that makes this car truly special and the most practical supercar you can get for your valuable money.
The interiors are classy with leather and walnut veneer. There is barely any plastic used and the diamond-quilted hide seats with the embroidered Bentley emblem only reaffirm the exclusivity of having such a car. The engine is responsive on the move and the six-speed auto ‘box shuttles seamlessly between cogs with a finesse you don’t associate with sports cars which only adds to the GT Speed’s driveable nature. You can cruise effortlessly gulping a kilometre every 15 seconds and not realise it. On small pieces of broken tarmac that I encountered, the low-speed ride was also good, a factor that is important for India. In fact, I drove over these ‘India-spec’ roads several times. Sharp edges reveal the GT Speed’s hard edge and you can feel the suspension getting a workout. But with a little careful driving and help from the newly developed low-friction dampers, the GT Speed can conquer Mumbai’s potholes.
The GT Speed will be available from next month and costs no less than Rs. 2.13 crore, which is Rs. 23 lakh more than the original GT.
HORMAZD SORABJEE
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