Falling in Love with Speed Again
3 min. read
A weekend on Sylt in a Bentley Continental GT Speed reveals that a hybrid can be not only sensible but also incredibly alluring – in magenta, with style, power, and surprisingly much understatement.
A New Era in Classic Style
A Friday morning in Hannover. The sun is still low as the new Bentley Continental GT Speed emerges slowly from the underground parking garage – painted in a hue that lies somewhere between candied plum, sun-kissed Cabernet, and a freshly poured rosé. Officially, this color is simply called Magenta. In reality, it’s more of a fashion statement on four wheels – more eye-catching than a bespoke suit in sage green, but with the aura of a British gentleman attending a dinner in Florentine velvet slippers.
I’m behind the wheel, with two colleagues from the media team beside me – the three of us, relaxed on our way to Sylt. And yes, I admit: I was skeptical. For years, I was a loyal advocate of the W12 engine, a motor like a cigar after a heavy red wine – why should I trade that for a hybrid? But this drive was about to change everything.
Quiet Start, Grand Entrance
Barely moving, the GT Speed glides silently through the streets of Hanover – so quietly that a pedestrian startles and turns around as we almost soundlessly pass by. The Bentley whispers rather than roars. In the city in the morning, this feels like civilized luxury – you hear the leather breathe, not the engine. The first 50 kilometers towards Hamburg feel like we’re on a cloud: massaging seats, Naim sound, and an ambiance like in a spa.
Then the stage changes. As soon as we hit the A7, the V8 kicks in – not with a clatter, but with a muffled, warm rumble reminiscent of a cozy fireplace explosion. The GT takes off, with no turbo lag, no hesitation. 771 horsepower unfurl with British restraint but German determination.A quick glance in the rearview mirror: clear. Naturally.
Magenta is the new understatement
Even in Hamburg, this Bentley showcases its true capabilities – not just technically, but emotionally. Children point at it, a Porsche driver in the adjacent lane whips out his phone. An elderly woman stops her bike and calls out to her companion: “Now that’s a looker!”
Yes, it is. Especially – in magenta.
This color is paradoxical: it’s wild, yet not loud. Fresh, yet not playful. Bentley dryly calls it magenta, but that doesn’t do it justice. It shifts with the light between elegant red-gold and daring purple – like the first Negroni of the evening, deep and promising. On Sylt? A statement. Amidst all the monochrome Range Rover gray-silvers of the world, this Bentley stands out like a painting in a conference room: it has style, but it doesn’t ask for permission.
“An elderly woman stops her bike and calls out to her companion: ‘Now that’s a looker!’ Yes, it is.”
Sylt, Sunset, Soundtrack
As we glide across the Hindenburgdamm to the island in the early evening, the sun is already low. The North Sea sparkles gold, the Bentley rolls with drawn elegance into the final stretch. And as the auto train slowly begins to move, you sit like in a rolling lounge: with a view of the water, a Louis Vuitton bag beside you, and that almost mockingly relaxed engine sound that still commands attention even in standby.
At the Gogärtchen in Kampen – aperitif in hand, the car within sight – we watch as guests pose in front of the car for photos. It’s a magnet. Yet it never seems intrusive. Eye-catching, but with class.
From W12 Devotee to Hybrid Hedonist
Over the course of several days, I discover the other side of the GT Speed: its everyday intelligence. The hybrid drive navigates the residential area emissions-free in the morning, charges at the power outlet as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and switches modes when needed – imperceptibly, without drama, just like a good butler who knows what comes next without being told.
The approximately 10 liters of fuel consumption per 100 km seem almost modest, but the sovereignty on long distances is typically Bentley: smooth, quiet, effortless. You arrive – without feeling like you’ve arrived, because in truth, you don’t want to get out.
Saturday, on the way back. The evening light still kisses the edges of the magenta paint, and the car stands there like a highly polished character actor. And me? I am converted.
Not repentant, but convinced. I was a W12 advocate, yes – but this GT Speed has won me over with its combination of sound, power, comfort, and cleverness.
Hybrid? In this Bentley, it’s not a compromise. It’s the best of all worlds – wrapped in metal, leather, technology, and, of course, magenta.
Image credit: MBF / Jakob Bach
