The 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed Isn’t a W-12 Replacement. It’s Better

Despite what its staid body lines might suggest, the Bentley Continental GT is very different for 2025. Gone is the mythical W-12 engine, replaced by a hybrid V-8 that promises to better the outgoing engine in every way. The Conti GT has also gotten a major facelift as part of the brand’s new styling direction, stripping its legendary quad-circle headlights in favor of two new clusters that add an “eyebrow” daytime running light.

The missing cylinders and new face make the Continental GT stand out less over the competition than before. But after a few hours behind the wheel in the Swiss Alps, it’s clear this is still one of the very best all-rounders on the planet, made incrementally better with hybrid tech.

The twin-turbo V-8 under the hood of the 2025 Continental GT Speed displaces the same 4.0 liters as last year’s base car, but makes almost 50 more horsepower than before, up to 591 horses and 590 pound-feet of torque. For the first time, the Continental’s engine is joined by a 187-hp electric motor mounted in front of the gearbox. In all, the new Speed has 771 hp and 738 lb-ft, making it the most powerful Bentley ever. 

After just a few corners behind the wheel, it’s easy to believe the Continental GT’s claimed 0-60 time of 3.1 seconds, despite the 5,421-pound curb weight. Everything great about the last car’s V-8 is amplified here. Turbo lag has been fully eliminated, replaced by a jolt of forward thrust every time you so much as glance at the throttle. As speed builds, the engine steps to the fore, providing a broad band of torque that carries cleanly to the 6,800-rpm redline. Paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch PDK automatic borrowed from Porsche, those big numbers on the speedometer are never far away.

Bentley managed to make this V-8 sound better than any of its relatives, save for perhaps the Lamborghini Urus. There’s a raucous growl you won’t find in cars like the Porsche Panamera or the Audi RS6. In Sport mode, there are real crackles from the exhaust. Those kinds of noises are overdone and ostentatious in other European brands, but from a Bentley coupe with a “Speed” badge on the dashboard, it’s oddly fitting. The sound sets the Continental apart, adding to its appeal. It also raises the question: Why can’t I get a Cayenne that sounds like this?

Supremely Comfortable, Wickedly Responsive Drivetrain, Surprisingly Agile

It’s not just power delivery and sound where the hybrid V-8 trumps the W-12. Fewer cylinders over the front axle means a lighter nose and more agility—as was the case with the previous GT. While weight is slightly up due to all the hybrid tech, balance front to rear is actually better than last year’s gas-powered V-8 Conti thanks to the rearward placement of the 25.9-kilowatt-hour battery.

The 2025 Speed’s front end is worlds more responsive than any W-12 variant I’ve driven, far more willing to dip its bumper into a corner without feeling like you’re managing an anchor above the steering rack. That difference between pure V-8 and V-8 hybrid is significant enough that you can feel it behind the wheel, too. Bentley’s done an excellent job managing the extra hybrid heft using components like a rear-steer system and new dual-valve dampers. There’s also an electronic torque-vectoring limited-slip differential in the rear promoting better turn-in. Smash the gas on the way out of a corner, and you’re treated to a pleasantly predictable slide. 

This hybrid V-8 powertrain is objectively better than the outgoing W-12 in every sense. But it’s obvious from the way it responds and sounds that Bentley’s objective wasn’t to replicate the 12-cylinder’s attitude. The W-12 had an ever-lurking, never-present demeanor. It didn’t roar or snap into action, but instead idled in the background ready to deliver gigantic thrust in a measured, steam train manner. This new setup is lightning quick to respond and as loud as Bentley’s GT3 race car. It’s a clear tone shift.

Brian Silvestro / Motor1

Brian Silvestro / Motor1

That shift is just as evident in the 2025 Continental GT’s styling. While the car’s general silhouette remains the same, the front and rear fascias have been given some serious changes. Most notably, the iconic quad-circle headlight scheme, present since the first GT in 2003, is gone. It’s been replaced by a set of centralized circles that each include an eyeliner-like strip of light for the DRLs. The new design differentiates the Conti further from its four-door counterpart, the Flying Spur, which retains the quad-light setup for 2025. 

While some purists might not like the change, design boss Robin Page says it’s worked out for Bentley.

“Round headlights can feel retro and old-fashioned, in a sense,” Page told Motor1. “I think we had to move away from it to give [the Continental GT] a modern expression.”

“The customers really responded well to it,” Page added. “What was important to [the customers] was keeping the grille. That was more important than the lights.”

So the grille hasn’t changed much. And neither has the cabin. The 2025 Continental GT’s interior remains one of the best on the market. Not because it’s packed with the latest tech, but because it focuses on what people actually want: High-quality materials and physical buttons for the controls that matter. Every touchpoint feels deeply considered, and there’s lots of real metal switchgear to operate the windows and the vents.

Brian Silvestro / Motor1

Brian Silvestro / Motor1

Brian Silvestro / Motor1

There’s still a healthy amount of technology in the cabin, of course. The gauge cluster is fully digital, allowing the driver to customize the display, whether that’s navigation, entertainment, or a rendered set of circular gauges made to look analog (my personal favorite). There’s also the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, ever present at the center of the dash—unless, of course, you option Bentley’s “rotating display,” which allows you to hide the screen in favor of three analog dials (one for outside air temperature, one for direction, and one for lap timing). 

Limit handling and progressive design are only half of what makes the Continental GT so compelling. The car’s dual-personality means it’s equally impressive as a luxury machine, one that shines brighter for 2025 thanks to the addition of hybrid tech. The battery pack can deliver up to 50 miles of all-electric range on the European cycle, meaning silent, inconspicuous cruising through city streets and residential areas. 

I found myself regularly popping the car into “Bentley” mode—the car’s standard, adaptive drive mode—and allowing it to go fully electric every time I entered a small town between mountain passes, then switching back to Sport mode, listening for the V-8 to fire to life before blasting up the next hill. It’s a fun dance that lets you attract as much or as little attention as you desire.

Brian Silvestro / Motor1

Cons: No More W-12, Controversial New Looks, Costs More Than Some Houses

Ride quality is as glass-smooth as ever, at least judging by the perfect Swiss tarmac used for this brief first test. The dual-valve dampers and air springs work together seamlessly here, ironing out all but the biggest of bumps. Even then, the cabin never crashes and the suspension remains composed. We’ll need more time (and a selection of badly maintained roads) to give a true verdict, but all signs point to the new GT Speed remaining the benchmark for grand touring comfort.

More than ride quality and fancy leather, it’s the little things that all come together to make the GT’s experience feel several steps above any mainstream luxury brand. The weight of the door pulls, the crisp actuation of the all-metal shift paddles, the natural linearity of the brakes and the steering. No other car can bring together this level of comfort and performance like the Continental GT. 

This car has been in a class of its own since its inception 20 years ago. While it’s evolved significantly, the hybridized Speed remains the Swiss Army knife of grand tourers, able to adapt and conform to whatever situation it’s placed in, whether that’s the packed city streets of central London or on a race track. Anyone who says it’s not worth the price of entry should drive one. They’ll change their minds.

Brian Silvestro / Motor1

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Brian Silvestro / Motor1