New Bentley Continental GT Speed Le Mans Collection review: a near flawless motorsport homage

The latest special edition of Bentley’s Continental GT reminds us why we’ll miss its iconic W12 engine when it’s gone


  • 4.5 out of 5

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    But between the regular thermometer and stopwatch, here the compass has been replaced by a tiny display cabinet, inside which is an actual valve from the 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine that powered the race-winning Speed 8 from 2003.

    Some will adore the Le Mans Collection for its motorsport references, but others might think that some of the extra details might be a little bit chintzy. With the potential to personalise any Continental to the most finite details, the knowledge that you’re driving a special edition that’s nearly identical to 47 other cars might take the shine off, too.

    But if the cosmetic specification might seem a little try-hard, that’s not an accusation that anyone could make of the phenomenal engine. Under the bonnet sits a six-litre W12 petrol engine boosted by a pair of turbochargers. The total output of 650bhp is more than a match for the racer to which it pays tribute, but it’s the torque figure that makes this an effortless way to move around 2.3 tonnes of four-seat coupe… 


    It produces a staggering 900Nm of torque that arrives at just 1,500rpm. It doesn’t matter what speed you’re going or the revs that the engine is pulling, it takes only the merest tickle of the throttle for the Conti GT to surge forward. We could talk about how responsive the eight speed gearbox is to kick down, but it happens so infrequently it almost doesn’t matter – such is the strength of that torque.

    If anything, the graceful performance in the lower reaches of the W12’s rev range is even more impressive than what it can do flat out. Which is saying something, because the Le Mans Collection takes just 3.6 seconds to dismiss the 0-62mph charge. It makes a pleasing, deep chested growl as the revs build, but with so much ability available at all times – and the massive potential of this motor – full throttle experiences on a public road are fleeting.  

    With all of that power on offer, the good news is that the Continental remains more than up to the task through the corners. With all that weight to haul around, there’s never an intention to deliver the sharpness of Italian GT cars like the Ferrari Roma, but the Bentley’s still impressively agile. Composure and body control are brilliant, while the rearward torque bias to the four-wheel drive system means that there’s a reassuring feeling of the back axle nudging you from apex to corner exit. The steering is loaded with feel, but it is precise and pleasingly weighted.

    That it can achieve all of this with such superb ride and refinement is its greatest strength. Even in its middling ‘Bentley’ mode it manages to blend control and comfort sweetly, but ‘Comfort’ is the perfect choice for longer motorway runs, where the suspension relaxes even more and it glides across the surface of the road. Despite the fat tyres, road noise is a distant hum, and the engine slots into either gear, where it’s barely ticking over at 70mph. Yet still has access to plenty of torque when needed. 

    Model: Bentley Continental GT Speed Le Mans Collection
    Price: £330,000
    Engine: 6.0-litre W12 twin-turbo
    Transmission: Eight-speed auto, four-wheel drive
    Power: 650bhp/900Nm
    0-62mph: 3.6 seconds
    Top speed: 208mph
    Economy: 20.6mpg
    CO2: 311g/km
    On sale: Now

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