2009 Bentley Continental GT

Bentley Continental GT Speed – Click above for high-res image gallery When we reviewed the Bentley Continental Flying Spur a couple of years ago, we showed you just how many other forms of transportation could be bought with the car's $183,825 out-the-door asking price. For this review of Bentley's new super coupe, the Continental GT Speed, we thought we'd list just a few of the cars that produce the same or less horsepower than the fastest Flying B ever made. The complete list is rather long considering that the GT Speed is powered by a twin-turbo, twelve-cylinder engine producing 600 horsepower, but here are just a few. Dodge Viper – 600 horsepower Lamborghini Murcielago – 571 horsepower Ford GT – 550 horsepower Porsche 911 GT2 – 530 horsepower Corvette Z06 – 505 horsepower Ferrari F430 Scuderia – 503 horsepower 1999 Oldsmobile Alero Coupe – 150 horsepower While it's true that cars with 600+ horsepower are becoming common in the supercar segment, the GT Speed's 48-horsepower bump over the standard Continental GT drives it into some truly rarified air. Read on to find out how it fared in the Autoblog Garage. %Gallery-28604% Photos Copyright ©2008 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc. There aren't many things in this world more expensive than a Bentley, and our GT Speed tester tops the automaker's Continental range with base price of $199,990 and an as-tested MSRP of $240,045. That's why we thought what better place to do a photoshoot than the back lot of my father's business, Neff Bros. RV Rentals. It's chock full of dozens of parked motorhomes, most of which cost six figures like the GT Speed. Unlike the GT Speed, they tend to rattle a bit over bumps and could be outdriven by my 150-hp Alero despite sporting engines like Ford's big 6.8L V10. But they do well as symbols of conspicuous consumption, just like the GT Speed. Based on Bentley's standard Continental GT, the GT Speed gets a number of tweaks to its exterior, interior and, most importantly, engine to make it the ultimate car ever created by the men and women from Crewe. Though subtle, the exterior changes include a new front fascia with a wider lower air intake and a more upright grille, all of which serve to force more air into the twin-turbo W12 behind the grille. While 19-inch alloy wheels are standard on the GT Speed, our tester was equipped with optional 20-inch multispoke wheels sporting a dark tint. These are a bargain at $1,320 and are easily the best wheels ever to grace a Bentley. The carbon ceramic disc brakes they frame, however, might require a little more consideration at $16,500 for the set. Regardless, they all let the uneducated bystander know that the 'B' on your hood doesn't stand for Buick. Aside from the new lower air intake, grille and wheels, the exterior of the GT Speed is exactly the same as the base model except for the gunmetal gray color from the Arnage range …
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