Bentley's New Continental GT Will Debut Its Wild Hybrid Engine: What We Know
Bentley has chosen a car for its new "Ultra Performance Hybrid Drivetrain" that it's been teasing, the next generation of the Continental GT. It's the quintessential Bentley, so there really wasn't any other choice. According to the specifications released by Bentley, it will be absolutely bonkers as a performance car, and surprisingly adept at being a plug-in hybrid. The bonkers part is the fact that the new Continental GT will produce 771 horsepower and enough torque (737 foot-pounds) to rival a diesel truck. On the efficiency end, it will have an electric only range of 50 miles. The Toyota Prius Prime, the poster child for plug-ins, has a range of 44 miles.
Bentley has not released pricing details on the new fourth generation Continental GT, but you already know it will be egregiously expensive. The new Continental GT will be revealed in its entirety next month. Bentley hasn't announced any bespoke options or paint colors as of yet. But you know that Bentleys aren't always known for subtlety.
A car that's good at everything
The hybrid drivetrain isn't the only high-tech part of the Continental GT. The whole chassis has been given a futuristic once over. It now houses a 48-volt electrical system in addition to the hybrid battery. It's equipped with all-wheel drive with torque vectoring. Although very few people will drive a Bentley Continental GT on a rally course, it's good to know that torque vectoring, four-wheel steering, and an electronically controlled limited slip differential are standard in case driving your multi-hundreds of thousands dollar grand tourer gets a little "dynamic." Following the eco-friendly feel, the inside is of course as sustainably sourced as possible.
Although no perfect car exists, and Bentley hasn't given exact performance figures like a 0-60 time or top speed, it looks like the luxury bespoke automaker has made a car that might be good at everything. 771 horsepower doesn't exactly translate to slow. 50 miles of EV range is stellar in the segment, and the Bentley badge on the front already tells you it's going to be comfortable to drive. If only it didn't cost as much as a house.