Sorry Saab, this special-edition Bentley Continental GT Speed is really born from jets

By Stephen Edelstein July 1, 2015

Bentley has a long-standing relationship with Swiss watchmaker Breitling, which set up this interesting opportunity for cross promotion between the carmaker and Breitling’s own aerobatics team.

The Bentley Continental GT Speed may not be quite as fast as the Breitling Jet Team’s L-39C Albatros airplanes, but this special edition commemorating the team might have them matched in terms of style.

Built by Bentley’s Mulliner customization division, the Continental GT Speed Breitling Jet Team Series features a two-tone paint job of Hallmark and Onyx (silver and black to us plebes), with yellow highlights in the same shade used on the Albatros jets.

The same yellow highlights are deployed for the interior, creating a jarring contrast to the prevailing somber blackness of the cabin. There are also the requisite logos and graphics, in case driver and passenger forget just how special the car they’re in really is.

Most special editions are built in limited numbers, but this Bentley takes that to a whole new level. Only seven will be built, one for each of the jets on the Breitling Jet Team. The carbon fiber dashboard fascia features an image of the planes in formation, with the one corresponding to the specific car painted yellow.

Bentley didn’t specify any mechanical changes, so presumably each Breitling Jet Team Series car will have the same 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W12 found in the stock GT Speed.

That engine produces 626 horsepower and 605 pound-feet of torque, which is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Bentley says the GT Speed will do 0 to 60 mph in four seconds flat, and reach a top speed of 206 mph. That’s not fast enough to leave the Earth, but still pretty darn fast.

The Breitling Jet Team Series car will be unveiled at the Boeing Safari Airshow July 31 in Seattle. Each owner (they’ve all been spoken for, apparently) will be presented with the keys by one of the pilots, and they’ll get taken for a ride in a jet.

Hopefully they’ll finish vomiting before they get in the car.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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