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Bentley has pulled the wraps off its heavily-updated Continental GT, and the changes are enough for the British marque to consider this an entirely new generation. While it rides on the same chassis as before and features the same general proportions, the big change here is the loss of the W12 engine, which has been offered on the grand tourer since its introduction more than 20 years ago. Taking its place is an entirely new plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain, which brings increases in both power and weight. For now, Bentley is only showing off the high-end Speed variant, but it shouldn't be too long before we see the rest of the overhauled lineup.
Over its three prior generations, the Continental GT's updates centered around squeezing more power out of the W12 while making the vehicle as a whole lighter. But now, the introduction of the plug-in hybrid V8 ushers in a more radical change. It replaces both the W12 and the old non-hybrid V8, and while it brings the expected power upgrades, it also goes against tradition with some added bulk.
The bump in power from the new engine makes this new Continental GT the most powerful road-going Bentley ever. The revised 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 makes 584 hp on its own, which in itself represents a 42-hp advantage over last year's V8-powered model. Combined with a single, 187-hp electric motor placed between the engine and the eight-speed DCT automatic transmission, the new grand tourer delivers a total of 771 hp and 728 lb-ft of torque. Power is still sent to all four wheels, and there's an electronically-controlled center differential positioned between the axles.
Sending power to those new electric motors is a sizable 25.9-kWh battery pack, and while it is said to provide up to 51 miles of electric-only range on Europe's WLTP scale, it's the reason why this Continental GT now tips the scales at 5,421 pounds––the GTC convertible is even heftier, weighting some 390 pounds more than the new coupe. On the bright side, the battery's location towards the rear of the vehicle has improved the car's static weight distribution by a significant margin––the old Continental GT had 55:45 front to rear, while its successor shifts it to 48:52.
Despite the considerable weight gains, the coupe's top speed goes virtually unchanged at 208 mph, while the GTC convertible limits things to 177 mph. Luckily, the difference is less dramatic for 0-60 mph acceleration, as the GTC's 3.2-second estimate falls behind the GT coupe by only a tenth of a second. On nothing but electric power, top speed is capped at 87 mph, likely due to the system's ability to recharge the battery while in motion. When hooking this Bentley up to a real charger, it will take a tedious three hours for the pack to reach its full capacity, as it only supports charging rates of up to 11 kW.
Outside of the revamped powertrain, the rest of the Continental GT's hardware is limited to only minimal changes. Bentley will ship the Speed with air springs, adaptive dampers, 48-volt anti-roll bars, rear-axle steering, and cast-iron brakes. The latter can be upgraded to carbon ceramics if the buyer so chooses.
While the mechanical parts have been significantly reshuffled in this new Continental GT––enough to justify calling this an entirely new fourth-generation model, according to Bentley––the sheetmetal draped over it remains very familiar. Bentley claims that 68% of the components are brand new, and the grand tourer's overall length has been stretched by 1.8 inches to 192.7 inches, but the proportions, wheelbase, and general styling features remain exactly the same. The biggest change on the outside applies to the headlights, which ditch their dual rounded design for a new unified housing––the first of which to reach a mass-production Bentley in decades. The Continental GT also features larger taillights with a new diamond-inspired pattern.
Inside, the changes appear to be limited to new color and upholstery options, alongside changes to the digital gauge cluster. As before, the Continental GT comes with Bentley's brilliant rotating display, which can switch between a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a set of three beautiful analog gauges, and a blank panel to show off the high-quality veneer. The center console also appears to remain unchanged, which means the glorious physical switchgear is here to stay.
As for what has changed, Bentley is adding a newly-optional "Dark Chrome" package for 2025, which as its name suggests, darkens the grand tourer's silver trim. The new Continental GT will be offered with an choice of three sound systems, with a 10-speaker, 650-watt setup coming as standard. That can be upgraded to either a 16-speaker, 1500-watt system from Bang & Olufsen with illuminated speaker grilles, or an 18-speaker, 2200-watt system from Naim.
The flagship Speed won't be the only new Continental GT variant for the 2025 model year, which means less powerful versions should break cover soon. Bentley plans to add hybrid tech to its entire lineup, so expect the other models to use the same PHEV system, albeit tuned to deliver slightly smaller power ratings. Pricing hasn't been disclosed for the Speed, but we expect it to cross the $300,000 threshold. Future base models will begin somewhere near the $250,000 mark.
Image Credits: Bentley
Revealed
Jun 30, 2024
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2025 Bentley Continental GT Swaps Out W12 For A Plug-In Hybrid V8
The restyled grand tourer is much heavier than before, but also makes 771 hp in Speed form.
Bentley has pulled the wraps off its heavily-updated Continental GT, and the changes are enough for the British marque to consider this an entirely new generation. While it rides on the same chassis as before and features the same general proportions, the big change here is the loss of the W12 engine, which has been offered on the grand tourer since its introduction more than 20 years ago. Taking its place is an entirely new plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain, which brings increases in both power and weight. For now, Bentley is only showing off the high-end Speed variant, but it shouldn't be too long before we see the rest of the overhauled lineup.
Over its three prior generations, the Continental GT's updates centered around squeezing more power out of the W12 while making the vehicle as a whole lighter. But now, the introduction of the plug-in hybrid V8 ushers in a more radical change. It replaces both the W12 and the old non-hybrid V8, and while it brings the expected power upgrades, it also goes against tradition with some added bulk.
The bump in power from the new engine makes this new Continental GT the most powerful road-going Bentley ever. The revised 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 makes 584 hp on its own, which in itself represents a 42-hp advantage over last year's V8-powered model. Combined with a single, 187-hp electric motor placed between the engine and the eight-speed DCT automatic transmission, the new grand tourer delivers a total of 771 hp and 728 lb-ft of torque. Power is still sent to all four wheels, and there's an electronically-controlled center differential positioned between the axles.
Sending power to those new electric motors is a sizable 25.9-kWh battery pack, and while it is said to provide up to 51 miles of electric-only range on Europe's WLTP scale, it's the reason why this Continental GT now tips the scales at 5,421 pounds––the GTC convertible is even heftier, weighting some 390 pounds more than the new coupe. On the bright side, the battery's location towards the rear of the vehicle has improved the car's static weight distribution by a significant margin––the old Continental GT had 55:45 front to rear, while its successor shifts it to 48:52.
Despite the considerable weight gains, the coupe's top speed goes virtually unchanged at 208 mph, while the GTC convertible limits things to 177 mph. Luckily, the difference is less dramatic for 0-60 mph acceleration, as the GTC's 3.2-second estimate falls behind the GT coupe by only a tenth of a second. On nothing but electric power, top speed is capped at 87 mph, likely due to the system's ability to recharge the battery while in motion. When hooking this Bentley up to a real charger, it will take a tedious three hours for the pack to reach its full capacity, as it only supports charging rates of up to 11 kW.
Outside of the revamped powertrain, the rest of the Continental GT's hardware is limited to only minimal changes. Bentley will ship the Speed with air springs, adaptive dampers, 48-volt anti-roll bars, rear-axle steering, and cast-iron brakes. The latter can be upgraded to carbon ceramics if the buyer so chooses.
While the mechanical parts have been significantly reshuffled in this new Continental GT––enough to justify calling this an entirely new fourth-generation model, according to Bentley––the sheetmetal draped over it remains very familiar. Bentley claims that 68% of the components are brand new, and the grand tourer's overall length has been stretched by 1.8 inches to 192.7 inches, but the proportions, wheelbase, and general styling features remain exactly the same. The biggest change on the outside applies to the headlights, which ditch their dual rounded design for a new unified housing––the first of which to reach a mass-production Bentley in decades. The Continental GT also features larger taillights with a new diamond-inspired pattern.
Inside, the changes appear to be limited to new color and upholstery options, alongside changes to the digital gauge cluster. As before, the Continental GT comes with Bentley's brilliant rotating display, which can switch between a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a set of three beautiful analog gauges, and a blank panel to show off the high-quality veneer. The center console also appears to remain unchanged, which means the glorious physical switchgear is here to stay.
As for what has changed, Bentley is adding a newly-optional "Dark Chrome" package for 2025, which as its name suggests, darkens the grand tourer's silver trim. The new Continental GT will be offered with an choice of three sound systems, with a 10-speaker, 650-watt setup coming as standard. That can be upgraded to either a 16-speaker, 1500-watt system from Bang & Olufsen with illuminated speaker grilles, or an 18-speaker, 2200-watt system from Naim.
The flagship Speed won't be the only new Continental GT variant for the 2025 model year, which means less powerful versions should break cover soon. Bentley plans to add hybrid tech to its entire lineup, so expect the other models to use the same PHEV system, albeit tuned to deliver slightly smaller power ratings. Pricing hasn't been disclosed for the Speed, but we expect it to cross the $300,000 threshold. Future base models will begin somewhere near the $250,000 mark.
Image Credits: Bentley
