Bentley Continental GTC S – Review
By Liam Bird, September 2026
If you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, then surely it’s only fair that you shouldn’t judge a car by its colour. Ah, if only it were that easy…
Bentley’s decision to bestow their latest press demonstrator Continental GTC S with an almost eye-searing bright yellow paint job certainly didn’t go unnoticed, that’s for sure, and during my time with it I’ve heard comments – the ones I can repeat that is – ranging from “Wow, what fantastic colour” all the way to “What the Hell possessed you?”
On more than one occasion, I’ll admit, I was all-too quick to admit that I was merely borrowing the banana-coloured Continental. “No, you’re mistaken, it’s not mine. It belongs to Bentley”. In certain circumstances I was almost apologetic for its opinion-splitting hue.
We’re a reserved bunch, us Europeans; we like our cars to be dark blue, dark green, dark grey, silver, subdued. In the Eastern hemisphere, on the other hand – where one could argue the real money is – garish (by our standards, that is) is good. Think the brightest of reds, oranges, purples, and in this case, full-on YELLOW! It’s all just a matter of different cultures, different tastes. Funny, isn’t it? Paint a Lamborghini or Ferrari yellow and no one bats an eyelid. But a Bentley in a similar shade? Well, that’s an altogether different cup of tea. The other reason manufacturers paint their press cars bright colours, of course, is it gets them noticed: It gets them on the covers of magazines.
“Driver-focused variant”
But as I said, you shouldn’t judge a press car by its colour. What then, is the new Bentley Continental GTC S actually like?
The S is the more driver-focused variant of the Continental GT range. It’s based upon the same Performance Active chassis as the (even) more expensive Speed and Mulliner Continental variants, but uses the same power and chassis settings as the (slightly) more affordable ‘core’ (Bentley’s entry-level) and ‘Azure’ (the luxury-focused) GT models. Beneath the long bonnet sits Bentley’s ‘base’ engine – a 519bhp twin-turbo V8 – which is boosted by a 187bhp electric motor mounted between engine and eight-speed twin-clutch gearbox that draws its power from a 25.9kWh battery.
The combined output is 671bhp, which is, err… perfectly adequate. Despite this convertible Continental’s 2,459kg kerb weight it’ll still hit 60mph in 3.5 seconds and go on to 191mph should you find sufficient space.
“Styling upgrades”
Being an S also means that this particular Continental gets launch control, a sports exhaust, quicker steering, sportier-focused damping, Bentley’s ‘Dynamic Ride’ system, previously reserved for the more powerful models, plus rear-wheel steering and an E-differential, which aid performance and power delivery to all four wheels. Further model-specific styling upgrades with multiple supposed nods to a more driver-focused brief include dedicated mirror caps, a new front splitter, and ‘Blackline’ exterior grilles, window surrounds, and badging.
Quite whether or not any of the latter are actually genuine enhancements is, like “our” car’s colour, a question of one’s own particular taste.
If it were me, I wouldn’t be asking for the all-black treatment on the centre console switches either. Call me old fashioned if you have to, but I like certain elements of my Bentley to come with a little extra sparkle.
“Oh-so wonderfully quiet”
What can’t be questioned is the way the Continental GTC S feels. By today’s standards, and despite the aforementioned go-faster bells and whistles, it’s not the most dynamic of grand tourers – it’s simply too heavy for that. Nevertheless, when it comes to long-distance comfort, or simply just popping to Waitrose on a wet Wednesday morning, there’s little to touch it.
Not that you’ll get much in the boot, that is. For a car of this size, a Grand Tourer no less, luggage capacity is comparable to little more than that of the tiniest of hatchbacks – especially so if you choose to keep the case for the charging cables in the boot too.
Ah yes, I nearly forgot. The Continental GTC S is a plug-in hybrid. Charge up the batteries – with either electric charger or engine – and you’ll get up to 52 miles range on electrons alone; handy if you’re crossing a congestion zone, and oh-so wonderfully quiet, too. Alternatively, leave the drive mode in Hybrid, and you’ll see the trip computer display average mpg readings spread as widely as 19 and 200+.
“Smoother than buttered Teflon”
Bentley also say the CO2 emissions are just 93g/km – believe that if you will – but whichever mode of propulsion you choose, progress is, as you might expect, smoother than buttered Teflon.
As lovely though as the Continental GTC S is, even if I had sufficient funds to own one, I’m not sure I’d be forking out for one. I’m more of a coupe than a convertible guy, you see. It’s as simple as that: I prefer hard-tops, always have; something a little less showy, enclosed, maybe with a walnut dash… Something in a subtle shade of green, grey, or blue, perhaps – I just think that’s altogether a little more me.
Bentley Continental GTC S
Engine: 3,996cc V8-Cylinder, twin-turbo, petrol
Electric Motor: 140kW/188bhp
Combined Power: 671 bhp (Engine only: 519bhp @ 6,250 rpm)
Combined Torque: 686 lb ft (Engine only: 568 lb ft @ 2,300 – 4,500 rpm. E-motor: 332 lb ft)
Transmission: ZF dual-clutch 8-speed auto with Manual Mode & active all-wheel drive
Battery: 25.9 kWh (charging time 2hrs 45 mins on fast charger / 8hrs 30 mins Domestic)
0-60 Mph: 3.5 sec
Max Speed: 191 mph (290km/h)
MPG: 68.9 (WLTP Combined)
CO2: 93 g/km (Electric-only range: 52 miles, Driving range: 535 miles)
Price: from £233,700.00. As driven: £304,460.00 (that’s £70,760.00 in options!)
Liam Bird first stepped into automotive journalism in 2009, and since then has gone on to write motoring-related content for numerous titles. A former approved driving instructor – he also holds a motorcycle, and a HGV licence – Liam is a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and, despite being born on the other side of the border, is treasurer of The Welsh Motoring Writers. He lives in the South Shropshire Marches with his partner Rebecca, her VW Up!, and his ever increasing collection of cars both large and small. When he’s not writing, more often than not, Liam can be found test-driving something worryingly expensive.
@bird_liam
