Worlds Fastest 4 Seater - Bentley’s New Ferrari Killer! 14 Sep 2021

It’s been over 12 months since I’ve been on a car launch drive abroad, and it feels fantastic to be back out travelling again! 

This week I’m testing out the new Bentley Continental GT Speed. But before we see what the 650hp W12 luxury grand tourer is like on the road, Bentley gave us access to an abandoned military air base. 

Testing out the GT Speed has taken me to beautiful Sicily, a region which was previously home to the largest military base in Europe. The site has since closed and has been reclaimed by mother nature, until now, when Bentley have got the keys and are letting us take a look inside. This remarkable destination gives an unbelievable experience that can only be likened to Bentley meets The Walking Dead. Driving this incredible car around the abandoned tracks is something that I’ll never forget. 

To read the GT Speed’s upgrades on paper, you would be forgiven for thinking this version has only been given a mild tweak to its predecessors. However, the agility of this model is what makes the real difference to the driving dynamics. Taking the GT Speed out on the road, with 650hp, rear wheel steer and importantly, the largest production car ceramic brakes ever fitted to something with number plates, I can see that the engineers of Bentley need a round of applause. 

At well over two tonnes, it is a big boy car, but it does an amazing job of disguising its weight. The interchangeable drive modes available are one of the best calibrated in the industry; when you press the button to switch between the three, you can immediately feel the change in character. This is where the GT Speed has really evolved in character, as the ‘drive’ and ‘Bentley’ modes do absolutely nothing to compromise the comfort and flow that is synonymous with Bentley motors. 

This could just be a landmark moment for the Bentley brand. Looking at this turbo charged W12, it may just become the last unassisted internal combustion engine of this magnitude, as Bentley sway towards electrification in their future models. For all of its beauty, grace and incredible dynamics, the Continental GT Speed might just be the car you want to buy simply because it’s the last of its kind. 

Bentley's FASTEST Ever Road Car! NEW Continental GT Speed - YouTube