This, Bentley is fond of telling us, is the fastest street-legal car it has ever built - and now it has finally released full details of the new Continental GT Speed, days ahead of its world debut at the Moscow motor show on 29 August.
Power, of course, is provided by Bentley's familiar six-litre twin-turbo W12 engine, tuned in this application for 460kW at 6000rpm - 37kW more than the standard Continental GT - with 800Nm available from 2000-5000rpm (100Nm up on its siblings).
A revised Sport mode provides a sharper throttle with faster response, and even the exhaust system has been developed from the free-breathing, low back pressure set-up used on the Continental Supersports ice-speed record car.
It drives all four wheels (biased 60:40 towards the rear) through a new ZF eight-speed close-ratio automatic transmission, taking this 2.3-tonne car from 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds and on to 160km/h (the old 100mph) in nine seconds flat.
Top speed is 330km/h and it's also capable of shifting directly from (for example) top gear to fourth for instantaneous acceleration.
KEEPING IT ALL UNDER CONTROL
It was, of course, Ettore Bugatti who famously said Bentley made the world's fastest lorries, but this is a lot more than a high-speed truck. It's all kept under control by up-rated springs, anti-roll bars and bushes, a lowered ride height (down 10mm front and rear) and revised electronic damping and steering systems.
Braking is by 405mm front and 335mm rear ventilated, cast iron brake discs and eight-piston callipers - or you can specify 420mm front / 356mm rear cross-drilled carbon silicon-carbide discs, which are fade-free, 20kg lighter than the standard platters and, says Bentley, will last the life of the car and double the life of your brake pads. Antilock braking, electronic brake-force distribution, hydraulic brake assistance, drag torque control and aquaplane detection are all standard.
According to Bentley, the Speed's revised engine management system, the new eight-speed 'box and (for the first time on a Bentley) energy recuperation system via an 'intelligent' alternator have actually reduced fuel consumption despite the extra performance; they quote 14.9 litres per 100km in the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of 347 g/km.
TAILORED LIKE A SAVILE ROW SUIT
Subtle design cues distinguish the GT Speed from its stable-mates, starting with dark-tinted radiator matrix and lower bumper grilles, special 21” 10-spoked alloy rims shod with 275/35 radials and 'rifled' tailpipes.
You can also ask for the Mulliner Styling Specification polished carbon-fibre 'Classic Pack', including front bumper grille strakes, front splitter, side sill extension blades and rear bumper diffuser, door mirror housings and rear spoiler finish, along with special black-finished 21” alloys.
All Speed models are trimmed to Mulliner Driving Specification, with diamond-quilted, perforated leather on all four seats, door trims and rear quarter panels. The headlining is finished in indented leather hide, while optional embroidered Bentley emblems can be specified for the head restraints.
The gear lever has a classic knurled finish, while the driver uses drilled alloy sports foot pedals. A special 'Jewel' filler cap is standard, as are dark-stained burr walnut or piano black veneer trims and bright metal detailing - or you can choose from a range of optional technical finishes, including dark-tinted aluminium or even carbon fibre.
KEEPING IN TOUCH(SCREEN)
The 200mm touchscreen displays the car's audio system, telephone, ride and comfort settings and navigation information, which uses both the 30GB hard-disc drive and a DVD player to access route data. A new feature is 'Personal Points of Interest', which allows you to save your favourite places, such as restaurants, in the system.
The eight-speaker sound system can be played and controlled directly from an iPod as well as from the six-disc CD changer, an SD card reader or directly from the car's hard-disc drive, which can store up to 15GB of music.
Orders are being taken now, with deliveries scheduled to start in October 2012. Price, as they say, on application, which is a polite way of saying that if you have to ask, you can't afford it.