According to Bentley, the new Continental GTC Speed is the fastest four-seat convertible in the world. The 202mph cabriolet uses the 616bhp powertrain from its Continenal GT Speed Coupe sibling, and we’ll see it unveiled at the 2013 Detroit motor show.
Just how fast is the new 2013 Bentley GTC Speed?
The Speed can crack the double-tonne, says Bentley: its 202mph top speed is 7mph faster than the regular GTC’s. The 0-60mph sprint is a claimed 4.1sec: that’s 0.7sec faster than the GTC W12. Partly, that’s down to the 590lb ft mountain of torque, on tap all the way from 2000 to 5000rpm. However, the cabriolet does trail its coupe ‘Speed’ stablemate in top speed and acceleration, by 4mph and 0.1sec respectively.
Power from the twin-turbo W12 engine is channelled to all four wheels through a 40:60 front/rear split, via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Knock the gearlever into Sport mode in the GTC Speed, and the driver gets a sharpened throttle response and high-rev band gearshifts.
Isn’t a 202mph Bentley drop-top a bit obscene for 2013?
The standard-fit 21-inch wheels and ‘rifled’ exhaust pipes might not be to everyone’s tastes, but Bentley has attempted to ease the eco-conscience of the GTC Speed owner.
Fuel economy and CO2 emissions have improved by 15% over the first-gen GTC Speed, but you’re still looking at a best-case scenario of 19.0mpg and 347g/km.
Any other changes on the new 2013 GTC Speed?
There’s a 10mm ride height drop for the adaptive sports suspension compared with the standard Conti GTC, and a small bootlid lip is added for 200mph aero-stability. Bentley has also recalibrated the steering and ECU, and fitted toughened anti-roll bars to keep the thing on the road in corners.
Inside, the GTC Speed packs all the comforts of the ‘Mulliner Driving Specification’ pack, like the GT Speed coupe. That means diamond-quilted upholstery and turned aluminium trim to match the darkened exterior grilles.
The Bentley Continental GTC Speed will go on sale in time for summer after its January 2013 reveal in Detroit. We expect the GTC Speed’s £15,000 premium over a standard GTC to match that of the hardtop, pitching the GTC Speed at around £163,000.