2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed Hybrid First Drive: Evolved But Still Excellent

• The new Bentley Continental GT Speed is on sale now, available in hardtop and convertible forms.
• It's now powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 plug-in hybrid setup making a combined 771 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque.
• Though its interior is mostly the same as before, the new powertrain makes the GT Speed feel like a brand new Bentley.

In with the new

OK, so what's all the fuss about? The W12 is out and in its place is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. But that's not all. There's a 25.9-kWh battery pack in the car's booty and an electric motor housed inside the eight-speed automatic transmission.

The total system output is a whopping 771 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, running to the ground via mandatory all-wheel drive. While the folks at Bentley tuned everything specifically for this car, the basics of the powertrain are shared with the Porsche Panamera and the upcoming Lamborghini Urus SE.

The GT Speed was never known for being particularly svelte, and indeed the hybrid hardware adds a few pounds to this already hefty coupe. The 2025 GT Speed weighs in at 5,400 pounds — hey, something is finally heavier than the new BMW M5 — but even so, the trade-offs here are worth the extra heft. This is the most powerful road car Bentley has ever produced, and it can travel up to 50 miles on electricity alone, according to European estimates. So if you live somewhere like London and need to commute across town emissions-free, the Speed will come in clutch.

Up and down the mountain

To experience firsthand how the new GT Speed feels from behind the wheel, Bentley brought me to the magnificent Swiss Alps. And trust me, I didn't travel all that way to drive this thing like a Prius Prime.

Whether you like it or not, the hybrid sports car is becoming the norm. Some have really been hated on, like the four-cylinder Mercedes-AMG C 63, while others, like the Ferrari 296 GTB, are pretty much universally applauded.

But the Continental GT Speed is something else altogether. This is the best-tuned performance hybrid I've ever driven, with an incredible range between supple electric-only cruiser and torque-fueled animal. All you have to do to switch the car's personality is turn the drive mode selector and, poof, everything changes in an instant.

Leaving the quaint ski village of Andermatt, Switzerland, I decide to keep the Speed in EV mode. The e-motor is good for 188 hp on its own, which is plenty to keep this car moving all the way up to highway speeds. If you're timid with your right foot, you can cruise in near silence without ever waking the V8. But where's the fun in that?

As I gain elevation, I summon the eight cylinders underhood to help move things along, and oh my goodness, they don't disappoint. There's a momentary delay as the engine fires up before the power really quicks in, but the handoff from electric to gas-fed propulsion is nevertheless buttery smooth. The wave of torque overcomes you completely and sticks around without wavering until you're forced to lift off the gas. At first, it's jarring to get such a wallop of torque all at once, but after a few runs it starts to feel like harnessing a superpower. Bentley says this large grand tourer will do 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds, and from behind the wheel it feels every bit as potent.

There's a lot more going on here than just endless torque. While the new GT Speed is heavier overall, it's lighter over the front axle than before. Turns out that removing a 12-cylinder the size of a grand piano is a great way to reduce weight up front. And with the battery sitting at the car's rear, the weight distribution is now close to an even 50/50. This balance, combined with an improved version of Bentley's active anti-roll system, means that the GT Speed can attack corners with some serious pace.

The absolute best thing about the new GT Speed is its suspension. In addition to two-chamber air springs, new dual-valve dampers do the heavy lifting on this heavy car. They are unique to Bentley and give the Speed a softer and more sophisticated vibe than before yet still allow this car to really move. Driving the Bentley in its most aggressive Sport mode, sizable bumps in the road feel like nothing at all.

The only letdown? The Pirelli P Zero tires. The Speed's capabilities are really limited by the tires' lack of grip.

A new look for Bentley

It's kind of hard to believe the Continental GT is some two decades old now. And the latest iteration departs from its predecessors in some fun ways, most notably with the single headlight design. It's a neat rethink of what has become quite the iconic face for the Bentley brand.

Inside the cabin, the Continental GT is pretty much the same as before. Features like the rotating center touchscreen and digital gauge cluster are unchanged. A new quilting pattern is available for the leather, and you can now opt for dark chrome instead of the more traditional brightwork, which is a nice upgrade.

As always, customers can really go wild when optioning their cars. Check out the Magenta over Gravity Grey test car that I drove, for example. Bentley says that roughly 75% of buyers do some level of personalization to their car through the company's in-house bespoke shop, Mulliner. And why not? Go big or go home, right?

The GT Speed starts at $305,250 for the coupe and $335,350 for the convertible, including $3,150 for destination. As you'd expect, the price climbs steeply the moment you start playing fast and loose with the online configurator. As tested, the Magenta car seen here costs roughly $380,000. Getting one up over the $400K mark will be a cinch.

Not every plug-in hybrid sports car is an off-the-line success, but the new Bentley Continental GT Speed really is. The powertrain is a step in the right direction, not only embracing modern technology but keeping the thrill of driving very much alive and well. If 12 cylinders are a must-have, Aston Martin will happily welcome you into its showroom to check out a new Vanquish. But don't overlook the Bentley. It's better than ever before.