Bentley Continental GT S debuts as an electrified luxe
Bentley, like most manufacturers worldwide, has been pushing the envelope of electrification as part of its Beyond100 Strategy, which aims to make the brand a global leader in sustainable luxury. The brand’s factory in Crewe is already carbon neutral, but to make the whole company carbon neutral by 2030, the vehicles need to adopt a renewed approach to efficiency.
This is why the pure-petrol V8 and the iconic W12 engines were retired. This move led to the introduction of a hybridised V8, delivering impressive performance in the latest Bentley models, including the newly introduced Continental GT S and GTC S models.
Unlike the GT S of 2022, the new models use what Bentley calls the ‘High Performance Hybrid’ powertrain, which combines a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine with a powerful electric motor, which is fed power by a 25.9kWh battery pack. The setup makes the duo the fastest and most powerful yet to carry the S insignia.
Power is rated at 500kW and 930Nm – 96kW and 160Nm more than what’s produced by the outgoing GT S models. All that power translates to a 3.5-second sprint to 100km/h from a stop, en route to a top speed of 305km/h, while shifting through an 8-speed DCT gearbox. In the world of performance, this is a considerable improvement from the previous car’s 4.0-second sprint time.
While Bentleys are not typically seen as everyday vehicles, there are those discerning customers who embrace the luxury catalogue for daily driving. Fortunately, the Continental GT S’s hybrid system allows it to travel up to 80km without using any drop of petrol, which is more than sufficient for everyday use… assuming, of course, a Bentley qualifies as ‘everyday’.
Borrowed from the GT Speed and GT Mulliner models is Bentley’s Performance Active Chassis, which includes active all-wheel-drive, twin-valve dampers, torque vectoring, active anti-roll system, all-wheel steering and an electronically limited-slip differential.
The exterior has also been updated, thanks to a Blackline Specification, which equips the luxury sedan with a dark front lower spoiler, gloss-black matrix grilles, black Bentley wings and Bentley lettering. Take a closer look, and you’ll notice details such as Beluga black mirror caps, sill extensions, and a rear diffuser. At the back, there are dark-tinted taillights and exhaust tips, further complemented by standard silver 22-inch ten swept-spoke alloys, and if you like, Bentley can swap those for gloss black with bright machined facing surfaces.
Then there’s the interior, which exudes luxury courtesy of two-colour upholstery split with fluted seat design. The touchpoints, such as the steering wheel, gear lever, seats and door panels, are finished in tactile Dinamica fabric. As options, buyers can either choose full leather upholstery or a dark-tint chrome specification for all interior metal brightwork. As for the convertible Continental GTC S, the roof can be opened and closed in 19 seconds at speeds of up to 50km/h.
Ultimately, the Continental GT S and GTC S prove that the brand’s DNA hasn’t been diluted or lost by electrification; it’s just evolved. Yes, the iconic W12’s thunder is no more, and purists will continue to bemoan that loss, but what replaces it is something more relevant in this day and age. Even with that, this is still a Bentley that’s outrageously fast and luxurious, only now it can cruise silently, before unleashing 500kW when the road opens up.
