On Sale:
Summer 2009
$230,000
Bentley calls the GTC Speed the ultimate in performance and refinement. This 2+2 convertible will complete the Bentley Speed lineup when it debuts in the summer of 2009, joining the Continental Flying Spur Speed sedan and the GT Speed coupe. The Speed lineup, inspired by the Bentleys that established the company's reputation racing at Le Mans in the late 1920s, is aimed at younger buyers than those loyal to the stately Bentley Arnage sedan.
It isn't clear exactly how young a buyer might be able to afford the Continental GTC Speed, which should retail at $230,000 or so, but enthusiasts have been known to form groups to buy these cars. In any case, Bentley has always been oriented around speed and it's worth noting that the organization devoted to the marquee is known as the Bentley Drivers Club.
The Bentley Continental GTC Speed will be distinguished from the standard GTC convertible by its dark tinted grille and 20-inch wheels, featuring a unique dual-thin spoke design and ultra high-performance Pirelli PZero tires. The Speed has a lower ride height, larger dual exhaust tips and a rear lip spoiler. Both GTCs will feature a revised nose for 2010, with a squarer, more upright grille in the classic Bentley mode, as well as larger lower air intakes and chrome headlight bezels.
Like the other Speed models, the GTC Speed will be equipped with an upgraded version of Bentley's twin-turbo, 6.0-liter W12 engine. This W configuration uses four banks of three cylinders, as opposed to two banks of six in a V12. It generates 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, or 48 hp and 74 lb-ft more than the standard GTC. The Speed shares the GTC's six-speed ZF automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel drive.
The result of the horsepower upgrade is Bentley's most powerful (and fastest) convertible to date. The company promises 0-60 mph sprints in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 195 mph with the retracting roof open. If that isn't fast enough, the GTC Speed will reach 200 mph with its roof closed.
The GTC Speed's body will sit lower to the ground than the standard convertible's will, by a fraction of an inch. It's electronically controlled automatic suspension will be tuned to more aggressively dampen body movement, usually referred to as roll and pitch. Its stability control system will allow the tires to slide a bit more before the electronics intervene in an effort to straighten the car's trajectory, just in case the Speed owner wants to try his or her car on a track.
Inside, the GTC Speed's machined aluminum trim and diamond-quilted leather ooze magnificence, as one expects in all Bentleys. Yet in the Speed, the bespoke quality is less overtly luxurious, perhaps more purposeful. The Speed also adds drilled alloy pedals and polished, model-specific door sills.
2010 Bentley Continental convertibles will be offered with two new options. Carbon-ceramic brakes trim weight and improve fade resistance, and Bentley claims they are the largest on any passenger car in the world. A new Adaptive Cruise Control system will use long-range radar to manage speed, controlling both brakes and throttle to maintain a driver-determined time gap between the GTC and cars ahead.
In the stratosphere of automobile prices, $20,000 or so may not mean much. The Continental GT Speed, introduced in 2007, quickly began outselling the less expensive, standard GT coupe. The same may apply with the convertibles.
The 2009 Continental GTC retails at $204,000, including destination and gas-guzzler tax. Factoring in the price increase from the standard GT coupe to the GT Speed, we're guessing about $230,000 for the 2010 GTC Speed. That's our guess. Actual retail prices are expected be announced closer to the on-sale date.
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