To prove the performance of the new Continental GT Speed, Bentley set out to establish a new speed record – one not formally attempted before. The authentic sound of the cross-plane V8 exhaust note inspired the idea of running the car above 200 mph through a tunnel – and a project lasting 18 months set out to achieve exactly that.
On 18 April, the new Continental GT Speed achieved its top speed through the 14.5 km Ryfylke tunnel in Norway – the longest road tunnel, and deepest sub-sea tunnel of any kind in the world, with its lowest point 292 metres below sea level. Powered by Bentley’s new Ultra Performance Hybrid electrocharged powertrain, the new Continental GT Speed was able to deploy all 782 PS and 1000 Nm with ease, running on Coryton’s SUSTAIN second-generation renewable biofuel and a hybrid battery charged with electricity from Bentley’s own solar panel array.
The new class-leading powertrain delivers extreme performance with more horsepower and more torque than the outgoing W12, together with a significant drop in CO2 to 29 g/km. In turn, this provides an extraordinary range of driving capability, from extreme performance to silent and effortless electric luxury.
The first step was to secure the right tunnel. The Ryfylke Tunnel near the town of Stavanger in Norway was the perfect candidate, being relatively straight, smooth and with large reserves of length. Bentley is grateful to the support of the Norwegian highways authority (Statens Vegvesen) and the local Stavanger police for their unwavering support of the project, in securing both the tunnel and the permit required to exceed the speed limit.
The car was driven for the run by former British Rally champion Mark Higgins, who holds the lap record around the Isle of Man TT course.
The top speed runs were carried out at a local time of 01:00 in the morning, when closing one of the two tunnels would cause minimum disruption to local traffic, which was routed to the spare tunnel to avoid delays. Despite the increased drag, the new Continental GT Speed accelerated from standstill to 335 km/h in just 33 seconds, and was able to hold top speed for as long as the film’s director, Jon Richards (formerly of Top Gear) required.
Rounds of engineering analysis and simulation evaluated the airflow around the car at high speed in an enclosed tube to ensure safety. Then, in April, a team from Bentley and supporting suppliers headed to Norway to run the new Continental GT Speed through the tunnel, as part of the creation of a launch film for the new car. Running on SUSTAIN renewable second-generation biofuel, and charged with electricity from fully renewable sources, the car went from a standstill to its 208 mph / 335 km/h top speed in just 33 seconds.
