2010 Bentley Continental GTC Speed San Diego CA

2010 Bentley Continental GTC Speed By Jon Alain Guzik, Editor-in-Chief  
DriverSide Overview 
Few manufacturers command the kind of exclusivity that the Bentley name connotes. If you can afford a Bentley, you can afford any number of rolling testaments to man’s ingenuity – and his ceaseless pursuit of perfection (and a large bank account). Those that choose a car like the 2010 Bentley Continental GTC Speed over more blatant expressions of power and wealth have nothing to prove. You see, this car is the fastest Bentley convertible ever created, though to look at it you would be hard-pressed to tell. The GTC Speed launches to 60 mph in a blistering 4.5 seconds. That’s not just fast. For a car that hits the scales at a hair under 5,500 lbs (that’s nearly three tons, for those of you who are counting), that’s insane speed and power, all wrapped in a bespoke three-piece suit.
 







What's to Like
The Continental GTC Speed is as beautiful as its hardtop brethren. The interior drips with understated extravagances like a genuine burl wood dash and center console and a hand-stitched leather steering wheel. Then there’s the brute force of the twin-turbocharged twelve-cylinder engine under the incredibly long hood. It’s the kind of power that isn’t so much addictive as it is necessary once you become accustomed to it.
 
What's Not to Like
With the financial universe in ruin around you, it’s hard to justify this kind of extravagance. Bentley boasts its interiors may take as many as 11 hides to cover in supple leather. It, to certain people, may lack a sense of decorum driving a Bentley in this day and age, but to each his own.
 
The Drive
DriverSide Driving Impressions
Describing what it’s like to drive the Bentley Continental GTC Speed is like explaining crème brulee to someone who’s lived their entire lives on tapioca pudding in a plastic cup. It’s sensory overload in the best way possible. The soft, cradling leather buckets lull you into the kind of comfort that grows to a sense of entitlement. You can’t help but feel you deserve every last hand stitch, every single hour poured into working out the exquisite wood veneer laid over every inch of the dash and center stack. Then there’s the power. The 600 horsepower W12 engine is stunning. Mashing the gas sends all 5,478 pounds into furious motion without the grotesque tire squealing of lesser beasts. Thanks to the GTC Speeds all-wheel drive system, the car simply goes. It’s like getting backhanded by your favorite well-dressed grandparent. The Speed is surprising in a way few cars today truly are.
 
Engine and Drivetrain 
Bentley has graced the GTC Speed with a 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W12 engine.

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