Lightweight* Non-Hybrid Bentley Continental GTs Could Happen

When it comes to supercars and high-end grand tourers, lightweights are all the rage. Buyers will spend tens of thousands of dollars cutting weight that’s equivalent to a bottle of wine at last night’s dinner.

The latest to offer up a lightweight could be one that’s truly shocking. Bentley. Its latest Continental and Flying Spur models are plug-in hybrid only. The electric components add significant weight to these vehicle, while also adding performance. So the automaker might do what it did with the Bentayga SUV and release a model without the PHEV system.

Bentley’s PHEV System Is Hefty

Bentley dropped the iconic W12 engine and replaced it with a hybrid 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 powertrain. With up to 771 horsepower, the new PHEV models completely eclipse the old W12. So why isn’t this new system in the Bentayga Speed SUV, which gets just the V8 and its 641 ponies?

The PHEV setup is heavy, Bentley board member for R&D Matthias Rabe told Road & Track. He said that the PHEV system could fit, but for the Bentayga Speed, it decided not to use it. The PHEV system, Rabe said, would add around 485 pounds to the already portly SUV.

So could Bentley do the same for the Continental and Flying Spur to create a lighter model? “It wouldn’t be surprising” if Bentley followed that path, Rabe said.

The report suggests this could herald the return of the Bentley S trim. The old Continental GT S was a V8 grand tourer that leaned more toward handling than outright power. In the grand scheme of things, it was a middle-child that outpaced the standard model but left room for the Speed to reign as the performance king.

R&D Boss Wants Bentley To Be More Sporting

Rabe said that he was pushing for Bentley to become a more sporting brand. Building a lightweight driver-focused car certainly supports that desire. And since Bentley offers the new Continental GT and Flying Spur solely in Speed trim, there’s plenty of room for a “cheaper” model in the lineup.

All this being said, subtracting 500 or so pounds of hybrid tech won’t magically create a featherweight go-kart. The Continental GT Speed tips the scales at 5,421 pounds, so we’d still be talking about a 2.5-ton car. The Flying Spur is even heavier, at 5,833 pounds. And with price tags already well into one-percenter territory, Bentley might struggle to find buyers who care about less weight with a lower sticker.

Related

More New Combustion Bentley Models Coming This Year

Bentley has delayed its all-electric plan by five years, and several V8 hybrid models will bridge the gap.

In fact, it might make more sense for Bentley to add the PHEV system to the Bentayga, if it fits. The V8 S model weighs 5,326 pounds. Adding another 500 would still see it lighter than the Flying Spur sedan. Plus, a plug-in hybrid Bentayga could have tax benefits and congestion charge benefits in many places where it is sold. And when it comes to making things lighter, the well-heeled buyers of Bentley’s vehicles probably value a lighter tax bill over an extra pound or two on their run to the office.

Source: Road & Track