BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT

Standard coupé is now a PHEV and in essence a downtuned Speed

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For this latest Continental GT, Bentley has broken with convention and got things going with a bang.

In the past, we have had to wait a short while for the excesses of the Speed derivative, but for the Mk4 car it was the first one out of the factory and into showrooms. Here's the new 208mph Conti GT, they said. It will outdrag a Ferrari Enzo yet cruise more quietly than the latest Mercedes-AMG S63. Satisfied?

If the goal was to make a statement, job done. We can now move onto the model that most owners will opt for: the 'regular' Conti GT, which is of course nothing of the sort. In fact, the entry-level car is mechanically closer to the Speed than ever.

Both cars use the same V8-engined plug-in hybrid powertrain (detuned from 771bhp in Ultra Performance Hybrid form to merely 671bhp as the High Performance Hybrid). Both have the same Porsche-developed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, two-chamber air suspension, active anti-roll bars, rear steering and electronically controlled limited-slip differential, which plays a pivotal role in controlling the amount of torque that each side of the car gets.