A Closer Look at The 2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed
What person in their right mind wouldn’t want a chance to drive a brand new Bentley? After all, these cars have had a reputation for expressing the epitome of both luxury and performance for decades. The automotive manufacturer doesn’t make a lot of them and they are rather exclusively priced, meaning that a very select (and small) percentage of the population has an opportunity to experience driving one on a first-hand basis. As such, any person that has been given the opportunity and fails to take it would be considered a fool by most individuals. That is true with practically anything Bentley has ever produced, but it’s even more true of their newest creation, the 2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed.
It’s Not Your Dad’s Bentley
So, what makes this car different from all of the other cars that Bentley has ever produced? For starters, it weighs less than the overwhelming majority of past cars made by the automaker. It also has more horsepower and more torque, meaning that it’s even faster than its predecessors. As a matter of fact, this particular car tips the scales at just over 5,000 pounds. That’s more than 300 pounds lighter than the next lightest Bentley produced over the last 10 years. At the same time, it offers 650 horsepower, compared to 573 horsepower in the next most powerful model. As previously discussed, all of that translates to more torque. In this particular case, you’re talking about 561 foot-pounds of torque, more than enough to get your blood pumping. In fact, this is enough to get most people interested in at least driving the newest car from Bentley, but if you think these are the only things that are different about the cars that have come before it, think again. The vehicle’s handling and stability are where the real magic happens.
Technology At Its Best
There isn’t a lot about this particular car that’s dramatically different from all the other Bentleys out there, at least not from the perspective of parts included. In fact, aside from a beefier rear axle and bigger brakes on both the front and back, it’s largely unchanged. It is in the software that things have truly allowed this particular Bentley to stand alone, even among other cars made by the same automaker. It has an integrated handling system that does millions of calculations in a minute’s time, automatically making changes to the power sent to each wheel according to driver input. The end result is a car that is more agile and responsive than anything that Bentley has ever produced. It also means that the car itself is more fun to drive, and that’s saying quite a lot. It’s not like the cars that Bentley has made in the past are uninspired or boring to drive.
However, this particular model feels more like driving a race car that just happens to be street legal. All of that technology translates to plenty of speed, too. The car is capable of going from 0 to 60 in just 3.5 seconds. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, consider the fact that its top speed is over 200 miles per hour, 208 miles per hour to be exact. What’s the best part about all of it? You don’t really feel out of control, even when you’re going that fast. The car is still responsive and still has good contact with the road, making you feel confident enough to take those corners just a little bit faster. That’s definitely not something that you can say for every performance automobile, even when some of those past automobiles have also been manufactured by Bentley.
A Touring Car That Feels Like A Sports Car
Technically, this particular car is designed to be a touring model, not a sports car. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it feels more like something you could drive on a racetrack without feeling even slightly out of place. A lot of that is due at least in part to the way the handling assist system operates. Remember the onboard computer that helps you maintain optimum control and contact with the road? Roughly 90% of the car’s raw power can be sent to the rear wheels to help you accelerate quickly, but about 36% of it can also be sent directly to the front wheels to help you corner more effectively. The thing that makes this car truly unique is that you don’t have to do anything special in order to get the most out of it. The onboard computer decides where all of that power needs to be placed and then does it in a matter of milliseconds. It all happens without the need from the driver to do anything more than operate the gas pedal and provide steering wheel input. It’s almost like having a professional race car driver right there next to you, helping you with all the technical aspects of driving, without taking the fun out of it.
As previously discussed, there are a lot of things that make this head-turning car different from its predecessors. The Bentley GT Speed has a long, elegant hood and a fastback design in the rear that gives it a rather unique appearance. However, its appearance is nothing compared to its ability to perform on the road. In addition to having more than enough power to excite even the most jaded of individuals, it also has a suspension system that allows you to practically float over the road, even when the road in question is completely riddled with potholes. Consider the fact that you can purchase the car in either a coupe or a convertible, and you have something that is truly special. It’s no wonder people are starting to take note of this car. It’s likely that this particular model will quickly become one of the most sought-after automobiles that Bentley has ever produced.
