Continental shift: new Bentley GTC cracks 200mph

The Bentley Continental GTC has been face-lifted and fitted with a 600bhp engine – ensuring a top speed of 200mph.

Bentley has given its convertible Continental a more upright grille with a more pronounced edge and lower air intakes.

But the most important change to the GTC line-up is the introduction of the ‘Speed’ model, which features Bentley’s uprated 6-litre V12 engine.

As seen in the Continental GT and Flying Spur models, the engine develops 600bhp and 553lb/ft of pulling power – giving the Bentley Continental GTC Speed a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds while 0-100mph arrives in 10.6 seconds.

With the roof up, the GTC Speed will hit 200mph while 195mph is available in convertible guise – making it the fastest Bentley convertible ever.

The Bentley GTC is also available with the existing 552bhp V12 engine, which has performance figures of 4.8 seconds and 195mph.

On top of the power adjustments, the Speed model gets lower suspension, uprated tyres and wider exhaust tailpipes than the standard GTC. 

However, both models are thirsty averaging just 17mpg and emitting 396g/km of CO2 – placing them in tax band G for a £400 annual charge.

Customers looking for an even more premium feel will be pleased to know the GTC Speed will also be available with a selection of Mulliner optional extras.

Since its launch in 2006, the GTC has been a success for the Crewe-based car maker with sales in over 50 countries and its owners include Cristiano Ronaldo.

Available for order now and with deliveries expected to be in the third quarter of 2009, prices start from £129,700 for the standard GTC and £146,100 for the GTC Speed.