The Bentley Continental GT looks the part of a performance car. It backs up its sporty attitude with a proper amount of power under the hood that the automaker happily shares with the Flying Spur. While the Flying Spur is larger, a new video highlights just how close the two are when they compete in a series of drag races.
The two Bentleys pack twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 engines. It makes 635 horsepower in the Flying Spur and 659 horsepower in the GT. Both engines make 663 pound-feet (900 Newton-meters) of torque. Both have all-wheel drive, feeding power to the wheels through eight-speed dual-clutch gearboxes. The Continental GT is lighter at 5,011 pounds (2,273 kilograms) compared to the Flying Spur’s 5,372-lbs (2,437-kg) curb weight.
Bentley introduced the Continental GT Le Mans Collection in April. It limited the models’ production to just 48 raced-themed GTs, which featured a unique racing artifact – a piece of an engine valve from the Bentley Speed 8 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans’ Prototype class in 2003.
It’s one of several motifs honoring Bentley’s Le Mans efforts. Six wreath emblems embossed on the passenger side of the dash mark the marquee’s wins at the famous race, the most recent one occurring 20 years ago with the Speed 8. It also has unique Verdant Green paint, a white 7 on the grille, and other touches.
The race-inspired GT channeled its extra power and lighter curb weight into a series of Victor tires against the Flying Spur Speed. The GT won both drag races even though the two achieved somewhat even starts. The Flying Spur would fall behind the closer the pair got to the finish line. The sedan completed the quarter-mile race in 11.9 seconds, losing by less than half a second to the 11.5-second GT.
The Bentley coupe continued its winning streak with the two rolling races. While the races were closer, the lighter GT easily eked out two more victories. The Flying Spur’s only win came at the end of the video during the brake test. The beastly luxury sedan stopped at a shorter distance than the sportier coupe.
