2025 Bentley Continental GT Drive: Not-So-Junior Varsity

Car and Driver

5 days ago

Last year, Bentley launched the Continental GT's new varsity lineup, the Speed and Mulliner trims. Both took the field with the brand's Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain co-developed with Porsche, pairing a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 and an electric motor to produce 771 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. The Speed variant focuses on the dynamic angle, while the Mulliner's MO is superluxurious touches to continue as the Conti GT's flagship.
Now, it's time for the junior-varsity lineup, a familiar duo of trims with similar divisions of labor: the core (don't say "base"!) Continental GT takes the entry-level position, and the Continental GT Azure matches the core stats while expanding the luxury component.
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A High Performance Hybrid powertrain, mechanically identical to the Ultra variant in the bigger brothers, has a slightly lower output. Instead of the twin-turbo V-8 making the 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of the varsity cars, the engine in the JV duo produces 512 horses and 568 pound-feet. E-assistance comes from the same 188-hp electric motor packaged inside the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission case, hooked up to a 22-kWh battery pack. Total output comes to 671 horsepower and 686 pound-feet of torque. The tradeoff, however, is that the new models gain several hundred pounds of mass over their predecessors, with estimated curb weights coming in around 5400 pounds for the GT and 5800 pounds for the GTC convertible.
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To delineate the core and Azure models from a distance, look for an Azure badge on the fender and other bright plumage on the luxury trim. The core favors the understated, its black matrix grille framed by a chrome surround and cut by a single chrome center vertical bar above black lower intakes. The Azure's grille adds brightwork with 11 vertical chrome bars and chrome-covered lower intakes. The JV luxury trim also sits on an exclusive 22-inch wheel in silver and bright machined metal; like the core model, it can be optioned with the Mulliner's animated welcome lamps.
Every Bentley cabin is a paean to leather and self-care, even that of a core Continental GT. The self-care bit is where the Azure, as apprentice to the top-spec Mulliner, asserts itself. Open pore crown-cut walnut trim veneers and 3-D quilting on the doors come standard, but there are some supremely snazzy pinstriped veneers on the options sheet and a "secret" options menu filled with every wish your bank account can support. Other standard equipment includes heated and ventilated front seats with massage, plus the Touring, Comfort, and Mood Lighting packages. Touring is the real relaxer, adding a handful of driver assistance aids including adaptive cruise control, night vision, and a head-up display.
Our first drive took place in a quaint Montana town, chaperoned by wary resort security and side-eyeing locals who had the sheriff on speed dial. We need to get the new coupe back to our Michigan test track to know for certain, but initial impressions are that relaxed indulgence is the best way to approach a drive in the new Continental GT. Inputs and responses are fine, and electric motoring in a car already known for in-car hush is the Luxardo maraschino cherry atop the Conti GT sundae. Given that we recorded a 2.8-second 60-mph time in the more powerful GT Speed, we estimate the core powertrain should make for sprints in the low- to mid-three-second range.
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Handling helpers include new twin-valve dampers paired with dual-chamber air springs, an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential, and rear-axle steering—the same stuff the varsity team gets. Problem is—same as on the more powerful cars—the power and chassis tech are kneecapped through turns by 22-inch Pirelli P Zero Elect summer tires that prioritize low rolling resistance over outright grip. This is the first Continental GT that's squealed its tires well below our threshold of fear.
What gives? Bentley created a new automotive outpost with the GT in 2003. At the time, it was an insanely high-powered grand tourer whose manor-like English luxury didn't compromise what we called "impressively high" handling limits. Two decades later, when we shook down the 2022 GT Speed at Lightning Lap, we called it "a gentleman's racer" and wrote, "There might be cars that beat the Bentley Continental GT Speed's lap time, but nothing that turns a faster lap is as decadent or luxurious." On our exhaustive Lightning Lap leaderboard, the 2022 GT Speed lodged itself between a 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus and a 2024 Nissan Z Nismo.
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More recently, we discovered that the new and more powerful 2025 GT Speed took 4.5 seconds longer to complete the 4.1-mile lap of Virginia International Raceway's Grand Course, a bit of backsliding we put down to those Pirellis. The 2025 Speed hit the leaderboard between a 2022 BMW M240i xDrive and a 2006 Ford GT, almost a second behind a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody.
Bentley seems to be leaning into the notion of adding more power and more frugality, with handling squeezed to the fringes of the graph. If this speaks to you, another upshot with the new car is 39 miles of EPA-estimated all-electric range.
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Taken as it comes off the showroom floor, the new Continental GT V-8 fulfills its name more strictly than ever before. Focus on both the grand and the touring, and live deliciously in the wellness and self-care. Or you could try and unlock some of the magic from the good old days with a stickier set of rubber from your local tire shop.
Specifications
Specifications
2025 Bentley Continental GT/GTC
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, all-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe or convertible
PRICE
Base: GT, $296,950; GTC convertible, $323,550
POWERTRAIN
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, 512 hp, 568 lb-ft + AC motor, 188 hp, 332 lb-ft (combined output: 671 hp, 686 lb-ft; 22-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; 11.0-kW onboard charger)
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 112.1–112.2 in
Length: 192.7 in
Width: 77.4 in
Height: 54.8–55.0 in
Trunk Volume: 5–9 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 5450–5850 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.2–3.5 sec
100 mph: 7.0–7.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 11.6–11.3 sec
Top Speed: 168 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 19/17/22 mpg
Combined Gasoline + Electricity: 52 MPGe
EV Range: 39 mi