Car journalist Lawrence Ulrich passes his expert verdict on the Bentley Continental GT.
Ballers and brokers lavished bonuses on a British GT that was sexy, never stuffy, and drove like an armored sports car.
Say auf Wiedersehen to that hand-built W-12, and Tag to a Continental GT whose plug-in-hybrid V-8 – co-developed with Porsche – makes it faster and far more efficient. That leaves the Aston Martin Vanquish and Ferrari 12Cilindri as the only alternatives for buyers who crave the old-school croon of a twelve-cylinder.
The 2026 Continental GT makes its competitive case on a winter-wonderland drive in New York, dominating dicey roads with all-wheel-drive, rear-axle steering and the thundering hooves of its 4.0-liter V-8. The twin-turbo engine makes 512 horsepower, with an additional 188 from an electric motor linked to an eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission. The system’s combined 671 horsepower and 686 lb-feet of torque sends the Bentley to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. That’s despite a hybrid-stuffed curb weight of about 5,400lbs, or closer to 5,800 in convertible GTC form. Choose GT Speed or Mulliner versions, and output rises to 771 horsepower and 738 lb-feet, good for a 3.1-second sprint to 60 mph, and a 208-mph top speed.
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More than ever, the Continental GT is a luxury locomotive minus the rails. The outside world silently bullets by, as passengers relax in a first-class cabin that Agatha Christie would kill for. Two passengers, that is, with rear seats largely limited to Hermes gift bags, or Bentley’s set of striped Italian luggage designed for this fourth-generation GT.
My GT coupe ticked enough bespoke boxes – with $107,000 in options – to boost its freight to $396,000. That included patterned aluminum trim, hand-engraved via a guilloche technique familiar from high-end watchmaking. Rich hides from unblemished Scandinavian bulls featured a shade called Burnt Oak. Organ-style chrome vent pulls remain a brand signature. A seemingly infinite choice of trims now includes slate of quartzite veneers, sourced from India and finished by Mulliner Division artisans in Crewe. Fellow drivers shower compliments on the Bentley’s ‘Cricket Ball Satin’ paint. The matte plum color added $21,230, enough to buy a perfectly good, used BMW.
Bentley’s Rotating Screen flips to present three surfaces, including a striking set of knurled analog gauges. The digital side unfortunately reveals a prosaic Audi-based infotainment screen. The laggy, low-res affair, with preposterously bad voice controls, begs for an upgrade. Apple Car Play or Android Auto will work overtime here.
Even on a so-so set of Pirelli P Zero all-season tires, the Bentley shoulders lesser cars aside, in 17-degree ambient temperatures. Saluting West Point Military Academy as we pass, the Bentley fires off aggressive V-8 cannonades. We rocket up Route 9W, overlooking the Hudson River where British and Revolutionary troops fought for strategic control. In the midst of this martial show, a 2,200-watt Naim audio system – among the finest in all autodom – alternately soothes and rocks the cabin.
Have I mentioned this is still a plug-in hybrid? An electrified boost allows the Bentley to save energy, not just squander it. A 22 kilowatt-hour battery supplies up to 50 miles of purely electric range, which drivers can reserve via a console switch. Burbling into Manhattan, I toggle the Bentley into “e-mode” for an emissions-free sunset cruise down the West Side Highway. Plug in faithfully, and the Continental will handle local errands – a case of Krug here, a portfolio checkup there – as virtuously as any Tesla, only much quieter. We love a twelve-cylinder engine as much as the next man, but this Bentley represents progress.
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