2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed First Look: Unleashing the Tiger’s Gaze

Last month, we had a brief track drive of the all-new, fourth-generation 2025 Bentley Continental GT. Cloaked in full camouflage, it initially appeared more like a midcycle refresh than a full redesign. However, new details reveal that 68 percent of its components are completely new, making it Bentley’s most radical front-end overhaul since the mid-20th century transition from dual to quad headlamps. This time, the classic four-eyed visage has evolved into a fierce, dual tiger’s-eye design, lending the Continental a strikingly menacing presence.

Lamps as Jewelry

Replacing the current 2025 Bentley Continental GT smaller, outboard marker lamps—once likened to teardrops by imaginative onlookers—are now sleeker, squintier ovals split by a horizontal bar that both accentuates the car’s width and suggests intense focus, much like a tiger stalking its prey. Beneath this bar, three advanced LED projectors line up neatly, while the remainder of each lamp’s interior is crafted to mimic the refraction of crystal or diamonds, featuring LED light-piped elements tracing the bottom edge. The rear lamps echo this exquisite design, glowing a silvery gray when off and transforming into giant, faceted rubies when illuminated.

Less elegant, however, is the integration of ADAS sensors—radar units and others—that appear as if shiny bugs have been splattered across the grilles, somewhat disrupting the otherwise luxurious aesthetic.

Resting Beast

Beyond the striking front, the rest of the 2025 Bentley Continental GT design evolves more subtly, staying true to Bentley’s signature themes: rear haunches that evoke the powerful hind legs of a resting tiger, the seamless “endless bonnet” line flowing from those haunches to the front fascia, and an overall sense of upright elegance. Most other updates are minor refinements, aimed at sharpening an already graceful silhouette.

The commanding A-pillar line and muscular rear haunches gain added emphasis thanks to a slightly deeper concave contour beneath each—a subtle detail achieved by increasing pressure in the stamping process. New exterior colors like Gravity Gray and Tourmaline Green introduce greater “travel” — a richer contrast between lit and shaded areas — that helps the body’s intricate surface details really pop.

The decklid has been carefully resculpted to reduce aerodynamic lift without resorting to a moving rear wing, tidily eliminating the unsightly cutlines seen on the previous generation. Meanwhile, the GTC convertible’s folding cloth top now features two additional cross bows (seven total), resulting in a smoother, more elegant profile when raised.

And for a final touch of ferocity, one of the 22-inch wheel designs offered on the first-to-launch Speed models features five spokes that, when viewed from the passenger side while rolling forward, resemble tiger claws digging into the pavement.

Inner Beauty

The new 2025 Bentley Continental GT cabin naturally abounds with sumptuous diamond quilting, intricate stitching, and refined perforations. For 2025, the perforated quilting subtly fades toward the lower part of the seat inserts, adding an elegant gradient effect. Brightwork can now be specified in black chrome, lending a sportier edge to the interior, while an extensive palette of color combinations awaits customization—the mandarin orange accents featured on the show car stand out as a particularly striking choice.

Continuing a beloved tradition, the center infotainment display sits on a rotating mechanism, offering a “digital detox” mode that replaces the screen with a sleek panel of wood or your preferred trim. This panel can be left blank or adorned with three classic analog gauges—such as temperature, compass, and timer—blending modern tech with timeless craftsmanship.

Audio aficionados have three exquisite sound system options: the standard 650-watt, 10-speaker setup for everyday comfort; the Bang & Olufsen 1,500-watt, 16-speaker arrangement for richer acoustics; and the top-tier Naim system—a 2,200-watt, 18-speaker masterpiece complete with active bass transducers embedded in the seats and eight distinct sound modes, designed to delight those who spare no expense on their home audio experience. Laminated acoustic glass in the windshield and side windows work tirelessly to keep the cabin’s sonic environment pristine.

Air quality—inside and out—is carefully monitored at all times, with an air ionizer maintaining freshness. When the GPS detects an approaching long tunnel, it seamlessly triggers the climate control’s recirculate function, ensuring clean air continues to flow uninterrupted.

Tech Upgrades

During our prototype drive, we discovered that the new 2025 Bentley Continental GT features a completely redesigned electrical architecture to support its 400-volt plug-in hybrid powertrain — and in this Speed variant, it stands as Bentley’s most powerful road-going model ever. This advanced electronic backbone unlocks a host of upgraded features, including cutting-edge smartphone integration and connected-car services with enhanced remote monitoring and control.

Owners can now precondition the cabin remotely or even summon their parked Continental with a tap on their phone. Certain smartphone apps—like Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music (perfect for streaming Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”)—can be permanently loaded into the MyBentley in-car app studio, allowing them to run seamlessly even without the phone present. The system also supports Zoom teleconferencing and select gaming apps when the vehicle is stationary, blending luxury with modern connectivity and entertainment.

Additionally, the reconfigurable driver information display in the instrument cluster gains a Tesla-like feature that visually depicts vehicles traveling in the Continental’s own lane as well as adjacent lanes, enhancing driver awareness with a sleek, intuitive interface.

Operators Standing By

Orders are now open for the 2025 Bentley Continental GT and GTC Speed, starting at $300,000 and up, with more accessible models expected to arrive later. Deliveries are scheduled to begin by year’s end. If that price gives you pause, consider this: the Continental GT Speed holds bragging rights for setting an “underwater speed record” of 208 mph—achieved while driving through the world’s deepest tunnel.

Bentley took its time shifting from two “eyes” to four back when the industry was embracing the quad-lamp trend, so we’re not expecting a quick—or complete—return to the dual-eye look anytime soon.

2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed Specifications

*Range estimate based on WLTP drive cycle