Geneva show: Bentley turns out fastest-ever Flying B

BRITISH luxury car brand Bentley has produced what is claimed to be its fastest production car ever, pushing the top speed of its appropriately named Continental GT Speed coupe to 331km/h.

However, if you want the feel the wind in your hair, the soft-top convertible GTC Speed’s V-max is slightly less at ‘only’ 327km/h.

The record is achieved using an enhanced version of the brand’s twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 engine, producing 467kW of power and a tractor-like 820Nm of torque – another record high number for the marque.

The new versions of the Continental GT Speed revealed at the Geneva motor show this week includes a number of other enhancements to the four-seat, two-door models.

It includes a front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser finished to match the exterior paint, and a dark tint finish applied to the 21-inch Speed wheel design, headlamps and tail-lamps.

“The new appearance is further complemented by red-painted brake callipers and a stylish chrome ‘Speed’ badge fitted to the front fenders, and inside the luxurious cabin there is a completely new colour split reserved exclusively for the Speed models,” Bentley says.

The reveal of the fastest-ever Flying B also introduces a new era for the Flying Spur saloon, which gains a V8 engine.

The twin-turbo 4.0-litre bent-eight is also offered in the Continental, and in the Flying Spur produces 373kW of power and 660Nm of torque, which is enough to propel the almost 3.0-tonne luxury car from 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds.

The Flying Spur has previously sold with only a 460kW/800Nm W12 under its bonnet.

Australian customers opting for the smaller engine are likely to pay a bit less than the current $420,000-plus asking price for the bigger-engined Flying Spur, similar to the almost $40,000 price difference between V8 and W12 versions of the Continental range.