2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible Preview - Detroit Auto Show

The 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible is being advertised as the fastest four-seat convertible money can buy.  It will certainly take a lot of green to prove or disprove this claim on your own private proving grounds, but chances are if you can afford to own your own private proving grounds then shelling out a six-figure price for this drop-top Bentley won't be an issue.  The GT Speed Convertible is the topless version of the GT Speed coupe, and it continues Bentley's dominance of the high-end segment for buyers seeking the ultimate in prestige and performance.

What’s New for the 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible:

•  All-new model
• Exceptional 12-cylinder engine.
• A higher standard of luxury features from Bentley.
• 202-mph top speed

New 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible: Styling and Design

The 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible doesn't just lop the roof off of the two-door model - it creates an elegant intepretation of its coupe twin's lines that aren't interrupted by the ungainly rear quarters that sometimes plague large open air cars.  From the front, the Continental GT Speed Convertible is simple and wind-swept, with its mesh grilles and wide air opening set into the front bumper suggesting that its muscular hood hides a mill that requires as much oxygen as possible to function at maximum capacity.  The rear of the Bentley breaks up the style line that runs down its side with wider haunches that give the car a cat-like stance.  The only awkwardness to be found on the giant cruiser is the large gap under the abruptly-ending trunklid, which is meant to house the vehicle's license plate.

New 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible: What’s Under the Hood

The 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible offers up a W-12, twin-turbo motor that produces an exceptional 616 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque.  The Bentley, whose weight is measured in multiple tons, needs every last pony to reach its 202-mph top speed, but the idea of traveling at that velocity with the wind in your hair is a scary - and appealing - one to performance-hungry billionaires.  The Continental GT Speed Convertible won't take long to reach terminal velocity either, as more pedestrians marks like the sprint to 60-mph are dispatched in just 4.1 seconds.  All-wheel drive is standard with the GT Speed Convertible, and a eight-speed automatic transmission is charged with handling the 12-cylinder engine's prodigious output.

New 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible: Features and Technology

The 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible comes with the hand-built luxury that fans of the brand have come to expect from its expert craftspeople.  Navigation, hard drive space for storing digital music, a power soft top, and a wide variety of trim options define the vehicle's elegantly-appointed interior.  The GT Speed Convertible features 21-inch rims, and it also rides on a set of air springs that is 10 mm lower than that of the standard Continental GT and offers faster steering than non-Speed models.

New 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible: What Autobytel Thinks

New 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible: What Autobytel Thinks

The 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible is an imposing piece of ultra-luxury, and its quite handsome in its simplicity.  So few people will ever own this car, and an equally small number will have the chance to drive one, which means that its impact is largely restricted to the upper echelons of the world's tax brackets as they mull whether to replace their existing Bentley with the latest and greatest.  Bentley continues to make a statement via understatement, which is an impressive strategy at such a heady price point.