What's all this about?

Bentley has introduced a new, fifth model to the mainstream Continental GT and GTC lines, and a sixth if you include the mighty Supersports in your consideration. But it's a familiar nameplate appearing here: S.

Where does the GT S and GTC S fit into the hierarchy?

Bang in the middle. In the current range of the Contis, either coupe (GT) or soft-top (GTC), there are two cars in the High Performance Hybrid (HPH) range - which are the 'regular' model, for want of a much better word, and then the wellness-oriented Azure - and another two sitting in the Ultra Performance Hybrid (UPH) tier, which are the luxury-heavy Mulliner and the sporty Speed. The Supersports kind of stands alone, by the way, because it is the only non-PHEV Conti you can get and a limited-build, highly specialised creation into the bargain.

An unusual trait of this generation of Conti S is that is has no more power than the regular and Azure models, but when you've got 680hp/930Nm to play with, perhaps a boost in outputs is not exactly necessary. For instance, the new S models are 130hp and 160Nm up on the previous-gen S, allowing them to perform a 0-62mph run in just 3.5 seconds and head on to a V-max of 190mph where permissible. That means the new Continental GT S and GTC S twins are not just outperforming their direct forebears by some distance, they're even quicker than the
old W12-powered Speed too.

Of course, the S isn't as fast as the current Speed, because that variant (and the Mulliner) packs a thumping great 782hp/1,000Nm punch from the same 4.0-litre biturbo V8 plug-in-hybrid (PHEV) powertrain as the regular/Azure/S models, only with the wick turned up a bit. And if you're good on your wider automotive group knowledge, then you'll recognise the HPH and the UPH as analogues of the present Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid and its ridiculous Turbo S relation, respectively.

Right, so the S is stupidly quick, but so are all other PHEV Contis. What makes this different?

The other two HPH variants don't have access to the Bentley Performance Active Chassis package, which was previously reserved for the UPH cars above. However, the S benefits from this tech, which means it has Active All-Wheel Drive, twin-valve dampers, torque vectoring (both front to rear, and across both axles), the 48-volt Bentley Dynamic Ride active anti-roll system, revised control software for the ESC, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential and all-wheel steering on top. Those last two items are tech 'firsts' for any Continental S in the company's history, while a naughty standard-fit Sports exhaust is bolted on to accentuate the crossplane V8's wonderful acoustics.

Then it's all a matter of tweaked aesthetics. The S twins are fitted with Blackline Specification as standard, rendering much of their exterior details and badgework in either dark tints or outright black finishes, while the 22-inch ten swept-spoke alloys can additionally be finished in either bright-machined facing surfaces over a gloss-black appearance, or just in full gloss-black trim. Inside, a two-tone leather upholstery colour scheme is complemented by the widespread deployment of Dinamica microfibre.

Any word on price for this beast?

Lots, would be the simple answer. A Continental GTC Azure, for instance, is about £230,000 before you've got busy with the multitudinous (and expensive) personalisation options, so there's every reason to expect the S will cost even more than that, given the extra chassis tech it will bring to the party. Mind, it should be superb to drive, so we're very much looking forward to sampling this one as soon as we can.

Matt Robinson - 30 Jan 2026