Review of the new Bentley Continental GTC Speed

Heritage is hugely important to everything that Bentley does. The famous British marque might currently reside under German ownership as part of the sprawling Volkswagen Group but its custodians have shown themselves to be intently aware of the important role that the brand's past has to play in its present and future. The Continental GTC Speed is fiercely modern motorcar, the most powerful convertible Bentley has produced, but its name echoes the legendary Bentley models of the 1920s, cars that sowed the seeds of the rich history that helps make Bentley what it is today.

The Bentley Speed Six was introduced in 1928 and by 1930 had a pair of victories at the Le Mans 24hr race under its belt. At the wheel were the famous Bentley Boys, a group of gentleman racers headed by Joel 'Woolf' Barnato but also including Sir Henry 'Tim' Birkin, and Lieutenant Commander Glen Kidston. Their exploits would become part of Bentley folklore, particularly a wager Woolf Barnato made one night over dinner in Cannes. The millionaire son of a South African mining magnate insisted that his Bentley Speed Six, could outrun the Le Train Bleu express train on a drive through France, adding that he could be relaxing in his London club before it even reached Calais.

The next day Woolf and the train set off. Through teeming rain and fog on the rough road surfaces of the day and even coping with a puncture just north of Paris, Woolf made it across the Channel. His Speed Six was parked outside his club in central London four minutes before the Blue Train express pulled into Calais. The £100 Woolf won in his bet, and quite a bit more besides, was subsequently paid to the French authorities to cover the fines he had accrued en route for racing on public roads.

It's certain that the driving experience of 1928 Bentley Speed Six would be about as far removed as you can get from that of the latest Continental GTC Speed. Little more than a 6.6-litre engine with wheels, the Speed Six nevertheless demonstrated its ability to cover great distances with exhilarating pace. In that respect at least, the two cars will have something in common. The GTC Speed uses a six-litre W12 engine with dual turbochargers to achieve its continent crushing 600bhp output. The engine is tuned to deliver massive torque for the effortless cruising ability that defines modern Bentley products and with 750Nm available from 1,750rpm all the way to 5,600rpm it promises huge in-gear flexibility.

"The Speed name is a massively evocative one for Bentley"

From a standing start, the GTC Speed can pass 60mph in 4.5s and 100mph in 10.6s. That's getting into thoroughbred supercar territory and owners with access to an airfield or who happen to have a particularly extravagant driveway on the front of their stately home will be able to see the magic 200mph figure register on the speedometer. Marshalling all that power is a 6-speed automatic gearbox that can operate in fully automatic mode or as a sequential manual. It sends drive to all four wheels where an advanced traction control system is set to work in deploying it. On the GTC Speed, the electronics feature a Dynamic Mode which allows a greater degree of wheel slip when owners feel like indulging in some more spirited driving and the air-suspension has CDC Continuous Damping Control built in which reacts to the driver's inputs, stiffening the ride when the car is driven more aggressively.

The conventional GTC is hardly what you would call anaemic in terms of its performance, styling or specification but the Speed version does manage to overshadow its junior sibling in all these respects. The car rides 10mm lower at the front and 15mm lower at the rear, accentuating the wide, road-hugging looks. The wheels are huge 20" efforts with a neat multi-spoke design and bespoke Pirelli PZero tyres. The Speed's sporting character is further underlined by its widened exhaust pipes and small boot lid spoiler at the rear. The front end, meanwhile, gets larger, lower air intakes in its bumper and a dark tint to its grilles. The interior is an exercise in unrestrained luxury that's typical Bentley but again, the Speed model makes a few nods to its sporting prowess. A three-spoke sports steering wheel, drilled alloy pedals, 'Speed' branded tread plates on the door sills, aluminium dash inserts and a leather and chrome gearlever all feature. The seating and door inserts are all finished in luxurious quilted leather.

The hood itself deserves a mention. Although it's not the quickest folding mechanism around at 25 seconds from roof up to roof down, it's nevertheless a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. With seven bows to preserve stiffness, it features a triple lined fabric construction to ensure the best acoustic and thermal insulation properties. The outer layer is thicker than that of any convertible while the middle insulating layer is also a good deal thicker than the entire roof sections of most drop tops. The inner layer is made from high quality cloth which echoes the roof lining of Bentleys from yesteryear. Even during the operation of the roof, not one mechanical part is visible. A heated glass rear window is a necessity and there's even an interior light incorporated into the headlining. A neat convenience feature is that the roof can be operated even after pulling away at speeds of up to 20mph, so there's not that anxiety you often get when attempting to operate a soft top in a traffic light queue

There's massive scope for Bentley customers to spend inordinate amounts of money on personalising their Continental GTC Speed but most of us mere mortals will be too busy picking our jaws up off the floor after digesting the standard specification of the car. The driving position adjustment is completely electrically operated with memory functions for adjusting the seats, steering column and exterior mirrors to your pre-arranged requirements. There's a comprehensive infotainment system including DVD satellite navigation, a TV tuner, a 6 CD stereo and adjustment of the suspension settings. The telephone system has voice dialling and can link to almost all Bluetooth enabled mobiles, there's keyless entry, electronic climate control and a roll-over protection system that deploys protective steel hoops from behind the headrests should the unthinkable happen.

On top of that little lot, Bentley offers a host of extras bundled up under the Mulliner Driving Specification banner. There are all kinds of exotic materials that can be applied to the interior from lambs wool rugs to premium wood veneers. Audiophile customers can specify the Naim premium audio system, while the carbon ceramic brake discs might appeal to those intent on putting the Speed's performance to good use and ACC Adaptive Cruise Control is a further labour saving option.

It may not surprise you to learn that running a six-litre W12 Bentley convertible that tips the scales at 2,485kg isn't a low cost exercise. It seems that concerns about fuel costs and taxation that are increasingly prevalent elsewhere in the market have yet to penetrate the motoring stratosphere where cars like the GTC Speed preside. When you look at what cars of this calibre cost to buy, it's little wonder that road tax bands and fuel consumption barely register. Even the little matter of depreciation is unlikely to be a major concern.

The Speed name is a massively evocative one for Bentley and, ever conscious of their role as custodians of the brand's heritage, the current management were never about to apply it to a modern product that was anything less than fully worthy. Sure enough, the Continental GTC Speed looks a phenomenal piece of engineering, blending supercar performance with the unfettered luxury that modern Bentley stands for.

The GTC Speed is a far cry from the original Speed Six models of the 1920s but just like those cars in their day, if you need to get home from the south of France in a hurry and a bit of style, there can't be many better ways to do it.