Classic and modern Bentleys alike bring automotive excellence to Monterey Car Week.
Bentley, with over 100 years of history, is one of the most coveted and desirable manufacturers in the automotive world, with uncompromising luxury, incredible attention to detail, and cutting-edge engineering and technology. Combining sumptuous comfort with spirited driving character, Bentley has a long legacy to reflect on when it comes to creating a new luxury performance car sensation, which is exactly what it did when redesigning the new Continental GT & GTC Speed for the 2025 model year.
The new Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain with 771 horsepower and 738 lb/ft of torque is what powers the new Continental GT Speed, but with its new single-headlight design, Bentley revives an elegant design convention that it last used in 1963. The last car that featured the beautiful single-headlight design was the Bentley S2, and an example of the Bentley S2 Drophead Coupe was entered in this year’s prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, bringing Bentley’s history and modern excellence together at Monterey Car Week.
The new Continental GT Speed switching from a W12 to a V8 powertrain is historic as well, and the Bentley S2 represents a similar transformation, being the car that switched from a straight-six engine in the S1 to a 6.23-liter engine itself. In a poetic union, the North American Debut of the new Continental, influenced by the impact and ethos of the S2, coincided with the showcasing of a beautiful 1961 Bentley S2 Drophead Coupe, one of just 15 examples made by Mulliner, at the Concours d’Elegance.
In addition, another revived classic made an appearance at the event: the on-road debut of the new Bentley Speed Six Continuation series, Mulliner’s painstaking revival of a 1920s Le Mans racing legend. With stunning classics, recreations of historic racing legends, and the arrival of a new pinnacle grand tourer, Bentley’s presence at Monterey Car Week was a celebration of automotive excellence, both old and new.
Image Source: Bentley
