2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed
While the pursuit of speed has been around for much longer than the automobile itself; when the internal combustion engine first merged with 4 wheels that search greatly intensified. Now fast-forward to this latest Bentley Continental GT, not only does it ooze sex appeal and extravagance, but it’s the fastest Bentley ever. And it’s fittingly called… the GT Speed.
What’s in a name? Well, as Speed is in the name of the 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed, it’s clear that that’s what this car is all about. As its top speed of 205 miles-per-hour, is indeed 1 mile-per-hour faster than the Bentley Continental Supersports. And while there are no public roads in this country where you can actually do that legally, just knowing that you can is enough for most people.
Making the speed possible is a slight tweaking of the Continental’s 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine. Turbo pressure is boosted to 28 psi, and the ECU gets reprogrammed to manage it. The result is 616-horsepower and an even more impressive 590 lb-ft. of torque.
Exterior tweaks to the GT Speed are subtle, but like any luxury item, those “in the know” will quickly spot the 21-inch split-spoke wheels and the darker finish to the front air intakes. And those that aren’t “in the know” can appreciate the new chrome trim around the tail lights and unique rifled exhaust tips as you streak past them. And if our car’s flaming orange paint job is not ostentatious enough, Bentley will be happy to mix up a custom color just for you; as in Crewe, all things are possible for a price.
Streaking down the track like a freight train out of control, the GT Speed reaches the end of the ¼ in just 12.1-seconds and 119 miles per hour, and it feels like it’s just getting started. With Speed in the name it had better bring it, and it surely does as it leaps off the line with authority and, thanks to all-wheel-drive, no wheel spin, launching to 60 in just 4-seconds flat.
It sounds mean under full throttle, but still not as aggressive as the V8 Continental. With almost 16-feet of length and over 600-horsepower connected to your right foot, navigating through the cones is an exercise in restraint. Initiating the Speed’s Dynamic Mode helps a little.
But unless you have your own private race track, most of your time will be spent at more sedate speeds, and that is where this Continental really impresses; with a smooth manner and solid ride that can only be found in cars of a certain exclusivity. This basic chassis has been around for a while now and we love it just as much now as we did when it first appeared. It has spawned some great automotive machinery over the years, but this one’s the best yet.
Inside, the feel is still incredibly “high end”, but there’s still a decidedly sporty turn with a perforated leather headliner, turned metal trim, metal pedals, and color stitching throughout the cabin. There’s something for almost every sense to enjoy, whether it’s the feel of the controls, the smell of the leather, or the sounds coming from the 11-hundred watt “naim” audio system. The front seats look great and provide both incredible comfort and support.
If there’s any bad news to report, it’s that the Speed will cost you a trust fund busting $215,000. At that price, there are quite a few options out there; most of which are actually more entertaining to drive. But none can touch the Bentley’s mix of exquisite style, personalized luxury, and sheer performance. It’s not an exotic sports car, just an incredibly well-done high-end luxury coupe.
Is it worth it? Well if you’ve got enough money to consider it, it probably doesn’t matter. All we know is, we loved the Continental before and we love it more now. And while it is currently nowhere near the Christmas season, we’d put up a tree any time if there was even a chance that we’d find a 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed underneath.
Specifications
- Engine: 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12
- Horsepower: 616
- Torque: 590 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 4 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 12.1 seconds @ 119 mph
2024 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35
Goldilocks Approved: It Does Everything Just Right
These days, you don’t have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get some real-deal AMG performance from Mercedes-Benz, as they’ve spread their high-performance love throughout their lineup. So, let’s go for some high-speed bargain hunting in the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35.
You may think of big cars and bigger horsepower when you hear AMG, but this updated 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4-door Coupe is certainly not a big car, yet there’s no doubt it packs a serious performance punch. The CLA is not the least expensive Mercedes you can currently buy in the U.S., but it is their lowest priced car, and it feels more right-size than small-size behind the wheel.
It’s a fun, enjoyable ride that lets you know what you’re in for right away with a nice raspy exhaust note at start up. Standard engine in the base CLA 250 is of course a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo, but it is ‘Benz’s latest with mild-hybrid assistance and a rating of 221-horsepower.
This CLA 35 is one of two AMG versions which cranks the turbo up to boost output to 302 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. of torque; the CLA 45 S, goes even further with a full rebuild to crank it up to 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque. The CLA is front-wheel-drive based but is sending power to all four wheels by the time it leaves the AMG shop with performance-tuned AMG 4MATIC.
AMG has done serious suspension tuning as well, and the great feedback that it provides through the AMG Performance steering wheel is a big part of this car’s fun-factor. But our test car came equipped with winter tires, which did hold us back a little bit through the cones at our Mason Dixon test track. Still, it felt both agile and fun and body roll was minimal. Not until we pushed hard could we really feel the lack of dry pavement grip from those tires. On the other hand, a few days after track day, we actually did have some winter weather to drive through and then we were very appreciative of the grip those winter tires provided.
With some assistance from AMG’s sweet launch control, which not only allowed us to launch at 3500 RPM with no wheel slip at all, but made sure the turbos were feeding full power, as we felt no turbo lag whatsoever on our quick 4.5-second trip to 60. AMG’s Speedshift eight-speed DCT lived up to its name, delivering quick and hard hits throughout the 13.1-second, 104 mph quarter-mile.
It’s a fun, enjoyable ride that lets you know what you’re in for right away with a nice raspy exhaust note at start up.
When it came time to remove speed in a hurry in our panic runs from 60 mph, those winter tires again played a factor, as the brakes felt very strong and there was very little nosedive but stops took a longer than expected 125 feet.
Now this 2nd generation CLA arrived for 2020, and for ’24 gets a subtle restyling at both ends. At the front, the grille has been redesigned, AMGs getting their own unique version with big vertical slats, prominent Mercedes star and subtle AMG badge. LED headlights are new, now labeled as High-Performance headlights, joined by upgraded rear taillights and a very aggressive looking AMG diffuser with big exhaust outlets. The back-up camera is smoothly hidden in a flip-out Mercedes badge. Multiple new wheel designs are available with sizes up to 19-inches.
Inside the CLA’s cabin, additional standard content includes a leather steering wheel and 10-inch media display. Both of which were already part of the AMG transformation, though AMG Line buyers can now add some heat elements to their sport steering wheel.
As we’ve seen with most Mercedes updates, both the virtual gauge cluster and the central touchscreen reside in a single housing mounted on top of the dash, upgraded with the latest MBUX software.
Pricing for the CLA 35 starts at $56,100, with the more powerful 45 S coming in at $66,550.
Bottom line, the folks in Stuttgart have given us a 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 that’s clearly better without messing it up. That’s certainly good news to us, as these days we seem to be getting less and paying more for just about everything. So, while you might not think the new CLA 35 sounds like a bargain, there is no better gateway into the amazing world of AMG performance.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo
- Horsepower: 416
- 0-60 mph: 4.5 seconds
- 60-0 Braking: 125 feet (avg)
- MW Fuel Economy: 28.2 MPG (Premium)
- Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
- Torque: 369 lb-ft.
- 1/4 Mile: 13.1 seconds at 104 mph
- EPA: 22 City / 29 Highway / 25 Combined