Test report on the Bentley Continental GTC Speed

The V12 engine is dead. Long live the V-12.

In the coming years, supercar manufacturers such as Lamborghini, Bentley and Rolls-Royce have announced the phase-out of their V12 engines as they enter the hybrid and electric vehicle era. Now they’re rolling out 12-cylinder masterpieces in homage to ultimate petrol power – and affluent customers are snapping them up in record time.

In other words, at the top of the car market, the twelve-cylinder is dying out and demand has never been greater.

As the king of internal combustion engines has come to the end of his career, Bentley has launched the Continental GTC Speed. It is a “W-12” street burner, with three banks of four cylinders arranged in a sort of “W” configuration. Its raw power is matched only by its refined interior.

Despite being priced close to $400,000, the GTC Speed ​​sells out quickly. Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmar said there were “very few available” before Bentley rolled the last of its 12-cylinder engines off the assembly line in April 2024.

“These models are already almost sold out,” Hallmark told CNBC. “It’s the end of a great era.”

That’s why Bentley decided to party like it was 1999 with the Continental GTC Speed.

The model I drove was priced at $384,000. Its color is called “kingfisher,” a bright, shimmering blue that, like its namesake, was born to fly. It featured some of Bentley’s most popular options, including 22-inch black-painted “Speed ​​Wheels,” a touring package for added comfort, and generous helpings of carbon fiber.

Inside, the GTC Speed ​​featured luxury touches, from the contrast stitching on the seats (using “Kingfisher” and “Beluga” colored threads) to the Bang & Olufsen sound system, precise diamond quilting and high-pile overlay mats additional foot comfort.

My favorite option, and one of the most popular, is the “rotating display,” where part of the carbon fiber dashboard flips over as the car begins to reveal its digital display, much like the supercar version of the secret wall in a mansion library. It’s an extra $6,600 — but hey, if you’re spending $380,000 on a car, what’s an extra six grand? (About 70% of Bentley owners include it.)

The prettiest part of the Continental GTC Speed ​​is the drivetrain. As befits a car with multiple personalities, the GTC Speed ​​has three driving modes: Comfort, Custom, Bentley and Enhanced Sport. Driving in comfort mode is like floating on a cloud, even on the potholed streets of New York and New Jersey. Bentley mode offers a balance between comfort and sport.

It’s easy to imagine Comfort mode transporting its well-heeled driver to the country clubs of southern California and southern Florida, two of Bentley’s largest markets. The four-wheel steering helps on the rare occasions when you need to park the car yourself instead of having to leave it to a valet.

Switch to Sport mode, however, and the W-12 roars like a dragon awakened from sleep. The suspension squats and the GTC accelerates to 0-60 in 3.6 seconds. It can reach a top speed of 208 miles per hour.

Even with a curb weight of over 5,300 pounds, the Continental GTC Speed ​​corners, stops and accelerates like a much nimbler supercar. Its special windshield and aerodynamics allow top-down driving even at high speeds without breaking down.

Sure, there are better pure sports cars and better luxury cars. But probably no car combines both as well as the Continental GTC Speed ​​- with the screaming swan song of a W-12.