# Bentley Continental GT
The **Bentley Continental GT** is a two-door luxury grand tourer built by Bentley Motors at its Crewe, England factory, launched in 2003 as the first all-new Bentley of the [Volkswagen Group](https://www.edgepedia.org/volkswagen-group) era and the car credited with reviving the brand's fortunes. It has run through four generations, moving from a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 to a plug-in hybrid V8 in the current model.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launch | 2003; first new Bentley under Volkswagen AG ownership and arguably the first all-new Bentley since the original 3 Litre of 1919, with no components carried over[1](https://www.bentleymedia.com/en/heritage-collection/2003-continental-gt) |
| Original powertrain | 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12, 550 bhp and 650 Nm, 0-62 mph in 4.8 seconds, top speed a shade under 200 mph[1](https://www.bentleymedia.com/en/heritage-collection/2003-continental-gt) |
| Commercial impact | Bentley sales grew tenfold in 2004 to 7,411 cars, of which 6,715 were Continentals[2](https://www.volkswagen-group.com/en/publications/more/volume-7-volkswagen-chronicle-1752/download?disposition=attachment) |
| Generations | First 2003-2011; second 2011 (V8 added); third 2018; fourth 2024 with hybrid power[3](https://www.bentleymotors.com/en/about-bentley/history-and-heritage.html) • [4](https://www.caranddriver.com/bentley/continental-gt-2025) |
| Current flagship figures | 782 PS (771 bhp) and 1,000 Nm from a 4.0-liter V8 plus 190 PS electric motor; 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds, 208 mph top speed[5](https://www.audi.com/en/press-releases/the-new-continental-gt-speed-redefining-the-definitive-grand-tourer-16067) |
| Electric range | 50 miles (81 km) on the EU drive cycle; 25.9-kWh battery, about 30 miles on the EPA cycle[5](https://www.audi.com/en/press-releases/the-new-continental-gt-speed-redefining-the-definitive-grand-tourer-16067) • [6](https://www.roadandtrack.com/reviews/a65130830/tested-2025-bentley-continental-gt-basic-instinct/) |
| Production volume | 80,000th example handcrafted at Crewe in January 2021; Bentley expected to build its 100,000th in 2026[7](https://www.bentleymedia.com/attachment/8bf467d9-7831-4b87-afa5-b6646b91b206) • [8](https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/bentley/continental-gt) |
## Origins under Volkswagen
Volkswagen acquired Bentley in the late 1990s and invested DM 1.1 billion between 1999 and 2003 in modernizing the Crewe factory and developing new products, bringing [V8 engine](https://www.edgepedia.org/v8-engine) production back in-house after it had been subcontracted away under the previous owner, Vickers[9](https://www.volkswagen-group.com/en/the-history-of-the-brands-17668/the-history-of-bentley-17674). The Continental GT was the result: a coupé designed, developed, and built in Crewe to close the market gap between Mercedes and Porsche, fulfilling what the company called a long-held dream[9](https://www.volkswagen-group.com/en/the-history-of-the-brands-17668/the-history-of-bentley-17674).
Production blended craft and volume manufacturing. Bodyshells came from the [Volkswagen](https://www.edgepedia.org/volkswagen) plant at Zwickau, while a new assembly hall at Crewe handled hand-finishing; a Continental GT took 150 hours to build against 400 hours for an Arnage[2](https://www.volkswagen-group.com/en/publications/more/volume-7-volkswagen-chronicle-1752/download?disposition=attachment). After the prototype debuted at the 2002 [Paris Motor Show](https://www.edgepedia.org/paris-motor-show), 3,200 orders had been taken by the time the production car launched in 2003[2](https://www.volkswagen-group.com/en/publications/more/volume-7-volkswagen-chronicle-1752/download?disposition=attachment). Priced at £110,000, some £40,000 less than other Bentleys, it attracted younger customers, and Bentley sales grew tenfold in 2004 to 7,411 cars, including 6,715 Continentals[2](https://www.volkswagen-group.com/en/publications/more/volume-7-volkswagen-chronicle-1752/download?disposition=attachment). The old Continental R had sold only around 250 units a year; the GT averaged around 4,000 per annum during its production run[10](https://porschecarshistory.com/wp-content/old/lib/magazines/RR/Rolls-Royce%20a%20Bentley%20Driver%20%E2%80%94%20Issue%2019%202020.pdf).
## First generation, 2003-2011
The original GT paired the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12, developed and tuned by Bentley, with full-time all-wheel drive, and was hailed as the fastest genuine four-seat coupé in the world, with a top speed in excess of 190 mph and 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds[11](https://www.bentleymedia.com/en/newsitem/1443-celebrating-the-definitive-grand-tourer-20-years-of-the-continental-gt). A convertible followed in 2005, a Speed model in 2007, and the 2009 Continental Supersport coupé used a 621 bhp (630 PS) W12 with enlarged front air intakes feeding 10 percent more airflow to the twin intercoolers[12](https://www.bentleymotors.com/us/en/about-bentley/history-and-heritage/continental.html).
The platform also spawned the four-door Continental Flying Spur in 2005 and, from 2013, the Flying Spur, which dropped the Continental prefix[3](https://www.bentleymotors.com/en/about-bentley/history-and-heritage.html). Bentley's motorsport program used the GT as the basis for the first-generation Continental GT3 race car[13](https://cdn.bentleymotors.com/downloads/en/bm/ms/2019-BentleyMotorsportMagazine.pdf), and in 2011 rally champion Juha Kankkunen broke the World Ice Speed record in a recalibrated Supersports Convertible on ice in Finland[12](https://www.bentleymotors.com/us/en/about-bentley/history-and-heritage/continental.html).
## Second and third generations
The second generation arrived in 2011, adding a 4.0-liter V8 alongside the W12. The V8 version, with a 192 mph top speed, was the first Bentley to feature variable displacement, deactivating half of the cylinders automatically when not needed to cut emissions[3](https://www.bentleymotors.com/en/about-bentley/history-and-heritage.html). A 2012 Continental GT W12 tested by [Car and Driver](https://www.edgepedia.org/car-and-driver) produced 567 hp and reached 60 mph in 4.4 seconds with a 12.8-second quarter mile, its permanent all-wheel drive splitting torque 40/60 front to rear[14](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15119362/2012-bentley-continental-gt-w12-instrumented-test-review/).
The third generation of 2018 brought an entirely new body, a longer wheelbase, and a reworked all-wheel-drive system that ran in 100 percent rear-drive mode by default, sending torque forward only when slip was detected at the rear[3](https://www.bentleymotors.com/en/about-bentley/history-and-heritage.html) • [15](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15092579/2018-bentley-continental-prototype-drive-review/). The second-generation Supersports of 2017 pushed the W12 to 710 PS (700 bhp) and more than 1,000 Nm, with 710 cars built, making it the fastest road-going Bentley to that point[3](https://www.bentleymotors.com/en/about-bentley/history-and-heritage.html).
## Fourth generation: the hybrid era
Revealed in June 2024, the fourth-generation Continental GT Speed introduced Bentley's Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain, pairing a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 600 PS (584 bhp) with a 190 PS (187 bhp) electric motor for a peak of 782 PS (771 bhp) and 1,000 Nm[5](https://www.audi.com/en/press-releases/the-new-continental-gt-speed-redefining-the-definitive-grand-tourer-16067). This replaced the 6.0-liter W12, which had made up to 650 horsepower in its final form[4](https://www.caranddriver.com/bentley/continental-gt-2025). The Speed reaches 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and 208 mph, with 50 miles (81 km) of electric-only range on the EU cycle and a total range of 534 miles (859 km)[5](https://www.audi.com/en/press-releases/the-new-continental-gt-speed-redefining-the-definitive-grand-tourer-16067). For the first time in the model's history, weight distribution is rear-biased at 49:51, helped by placing the battery at the rear[5](https://www.audi.com/en/press-releases/the-new-continental-gt-speed-redefining-the-definitive-grand-tourer-16067) • [8](https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/bentley/continental-gt).
The hybrid brings mass: the car weighs about 2,500 kg (5,400 lb), roughly 200 kg more than the W12 version it replaced[8](https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/bentley/continental-gt) • [6](https://www.roadandtrack.com/reviews/a65130830/tested-2025-bentley-continental-gt-basic-instinct/). Chassis technology includes two-chamber air springs, dual-valve dampers, 48V active anti-roll control, an electronic limited-slip differential, torque vectoring, and four-wheel steering[5](https://www.audi.com/en/press-releases/the-new-continental-gt-speed-redefining-the-definitive-grand-tourer-16067). In Car and Driver's Lightning Lap track test, the GT Speed lapped in 3:00.7 but was 4.5 seconds slower than its W12 predecessor, with a 393-pound weight gain and lower-grip low-rolling-resistance tires offsetting the extra 121 horsepower[16](https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a63692483/2025-bentley-continental-gt-speed-lightning-lap-2025/).
The range spans five models: the GT, GT S, GT Azure, GT Speed, and GT Mulliner, in coupé and convertible (GTC) form, with the convertible launched concurrently with the coupé for the first time[5](https://www.audi.com/en/press-releases/the-new-continental-gt-speed-redefining-the-definitive-grand-tourer-16067). The base GT uses a lower-output High Performance Hybrid of 671 hp, while the Speed and Mulliner carry the full 782 PS setup[6](https://www.roadandtrack.com/reviews/a65130830/tested-2025-bentley-continental-gt-basic-instinct/).
## Supersports and the road ahead
The newest Continental Supersports, announced in November 2025 as only the fourth Supersports model in Bentley history, removes the hybrid system, the all-wheel drive, and the rear seats: a 4.0-liter non-hybrid twin-turbo V8 sends all 657 bhp to the rear wheels, making it the first rear-wheel-drive Continental GT, and at under 2,000 kg it is described as the lightest Bentley in 85 years[17](https://www.bentleymedia.com/en/newsitem/1759-supersports-the-most-driver-focused-bentley-ever) • [18](https://www.wallpaper.com/transportation/bentley-supersports-review).
Bentley's chief executive, Frank-Steffen Walliser, has said the plug-in hybrid was initially viewed as transitional but is playing a larger role because of changing customer habits, with a full electric Bentley due in 2027 and the brand's all-electric transition now planned for completion by 2035[19](https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/motoring/2025/03/31/bentley-continental-gt-hybrid-electric-review/). Around the time of the fourth generation's market launch, Bentley was set to build its 100,000th Continental GT at Crewe[19](https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/motoring/2025/03/31/bentley-continental-gt-hybrid-electric-review/).
## References
1. [2003 Continental GT, Bentley Newsroom Heritage Collection](https://www.bentleymedia.com/en/heritage-collection/2003-continental-gt)
2. [Volkswagen Chronicle, Volume 7, Volkswagen Group](https://www.volkswagen-group.com/en/publications/more/volume-7-volkswagen-chronicle-1752/download?disposition=attachment)
3. [History and Heritage, Bentley Motors](https://www.bentleymotors.com/en/about-bentley/history-and-heritage.html)
4. [2025 Bentley Continental GT Review, Car and Driver](https://www.caranddriver.com/bentley/continental-gt-2025)
5. [The new Continental GT Speed: Redefining the definitive grand tourer, Bentley press release via audi.com](https://www.audi.com/en/press-releases/the-new-continental-gt-speed-redefining-the-definitive-grand-tourer-16067)
6. [Tested: 2025 Bentley Continental GT: Basic Instinct, Road & Track](https://www.roadandtrack.com/reviews/a65130830/tested-2025-bentley-continental-gt-basic-instinct/)
7. [80,000th Continental GT produced at the Home of Bentley in Crewe, Bentley Newsroom](https://www.bentleymedia.com/attachment/8bf467d9-7831-4b87-afa5-b6646b91b206)
8. [Bentley Continental GT Review 2026, Top Gear](https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/bentley/continental-gt)
9. [The History of Bentley, Volkswagen Group](https://www.volkswagen-group.com/en/the-history-of-the-brands-17668/the-history-of-bentley-17674)
10. [Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver, Issue 19, 2020](https://porschecarshistory.com/wp-content/old/lib/magazines/RR/Rolls-Royce%20a%20Bentley%20Driver%20%E2%80%94%20Issue%2019%202020.pdf)
11. [Celebrating the Definitive Grand Tourer: 20 Years of the Continental GT, Bentley Newsroom](https://www.bentleymedia.com/en/newsitem/1443-celebrating-the-definitive-grand-tourer-20-years-of-the-continental-gt)
12. [Bentley Continental: History and Heritage, Bentley Motors](https://www.bentleymotors.com/us/en/about-bentley/history-and-heritage/continental.html)
13. [Bentley Motorsport: A Winning History, Bentley Motors](https://cdn.bentleymotors.com/downloads/en/bm/ms/2019-BentleyMotorsportMagazine.pdf)
14. [2012 Bentley Continental GT W12 Instrumented Test, Car and Driver](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15119362/2012-bentley-continental-gt-w12-instrumented-test-review/)
15. [Prototype Drive: 2018 Bentley Continental GT, Car and Driver](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15092579/2018-bentley-continental-prototype-drive-review/)
16. [2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed at Lightning Lap 2025, Car and Driver](https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a63692483/2025-bentley-continental-gt-speed-lightning-lap-2025/)
17. [Supersports: the most driver-focused Bentley ever, Bentley Newsroom](https://www.bentleymedia.com/en/newsitem/1759-supersports-the-most-driver-focused-bentley-ever)
18. [the bentley supersports sets the pace for the marque's new era, without any electric motors](https://www.wallpaper.com/transportation/bentley-supersports-review)
19. [Bentley's new Continental GT hybrid is still the best grand tourer on the market, The National](https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/motoring/2025/03/31/bentley-continental-gt-hybrid-electric-review/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Road transport › Automobiles › British automobile models › Luxury and executive saloons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license