CONTINENTAL GTC SPEED Edition 12

In 2011, four-time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen broke his own Ice Speed Record – the maximum speed ever achieved in a car on ice – driving a Bentley Continental GTC Supersports. Under the bonnet was the engine that has propelled Bentleys to so many speed records, from the ice lakes of the Arctic Circle to the dizzy heights of Pikes Peak: the 6.0 litre, twin-turbocharged Bentley W12.

When the Bentley W12 engine burst onto the scene in the first Continental GT, it represented a new chapter in a story that goes back over 100 years. It was subsequently adopted for one new Bentley model after another. Despite the technical challenges involved in building engines to this design, the W12 soon established itself as the pinnacle powerplant in Bentley’s high-performance line-up, consistently delivering the Bentley hallmarks of immense power and torque, combined with incredible smoothness.

Two decades since its introduction, Bentley remains the only automotive manufacturer to build production cars powered by the W12 engine – but now, that era is finally coming to an end.

The Continental GTC Speed Edition 12 is one of the most powerful and exhilarating four-seat convertibles on the planet – thanks in no small part to the iconic engine it celebrates. Capable of generating 650 bhp and a massive 900 Nm of torque, it can propel you from zero to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds – acceleration you can hear as well as feel when driving in Sport mode, thanks to the exhaust system’s Adaptive Valve Control.

DRIVEN BY TECHNOLOGY

An arsenal of cutting-edge chassis systems come together to harness all this power, optimising the driving experience. Adaptive all-wheel drive means the car is driven by the rear axle alone unless traction is compromised, at which point the engine’s power is automatically distributed across both axles, for instant four-wheel drive grip.
All-wheel steering drastically reduces the car’s turning circle when driving at low speeds, increasing agility on city streets. At higher speeds it enables you to glide across lanes with more control and confidence. Torque vectoring, delivered both by brake and an electronic limited-slip differential, enables the car to hug the road tightly when cornering at speed. The Bentley Dynamic Ride anti-roll system, meanwhile, keeps the car stable throughout, while allowing for a softer ride when cruising.

RESPONSIBLE POWER

Like all modern W12 Bentleys, the car also features variable displacement, a feature that allows for six of the engine’s twelve cylinders to shut down when their power is not needed – when driving at low speeds in city streets, for example – to reduce emissions and fuel usage. The instant you accelerate hard, the car’s legendary engine fires on all cylinders once again.

Shaped to cut through the air, the Continental GTC Speed exudes racetrack attitude. Much of the brightware – the exterior styling details normally rendered in chrome – is rendered in a dark tint, for a stealthier appearance. The Styling Specification adds a gloss carbon fibre body kit featuring a mirror-matched weave pattern, while the internal components of the front and rear lamps are also treated with a dark tint, for extra presence.

Inside, the seats feature a unique Speed colour split and Speed embroidery, to complement the sumptuous Precision Diamond quilting, exclusive to Bentley’s performance-focused models. With the Colour Specification included as standard, you can choose from the entire range of hide and carpet colours. From the graphics in the instrumental panel to the sports pedals at your feet, this is a cabin that overflows with sporting style.

The cabin of the Continental GTC Speed Edition 12 continues to celebrate the era of the W12 engine, ensuring that when your car is seen with the top down, the interior and exterior story become one.

Its illuminated outer treadplates give off a gentle white glow on entry, lending the cabin an especially dramatic atmosphere in the dark. You will then step over Edition 12 inner treadplates into a truly extraordinary interior. On the fascia, mirror-like Grand Black veneers are punctuated with Speed Edition 12 badging, along with a metal overlay depicting a very special sequence of numbers: the engine firing sequence of the W12 engine’s cylinders. The solid brass organ stop air vent controls, meanwhile, feature a number 12 badge on each one.

The upholstery can be commissioned in your choice of five colour combinations, all arranged in Bentley’s exclusive Speed colour pattern, while the seats and upholstered interior panels on the doors feature an intricate embroidered pattern known as diamond-in-diamond quilting. The effect is enhanced further on the seats with ombré stitching, a technique that sees three different thread colours blend together. An embroidered Edition 12 emblem completes every seat.