Bentley Drifts The Continental GT Speed To Prove It Can Be Raucous As Well As Stately

Bentley has taken the new Continental GT Speed to an abandoned airbase in Sicily to prove that, despite its luxurious demeanor, it’s as raucous as you would expect from a 12-cylinder coupe.

Once the largest NATO airbase in southern Europe, the site has been abandoned for almost 30 years. The film sees the Continental GT Speed race through the airbase that Bentley says was turned into a gymkhana-style playground for the video.

“After the team discovered Comiso Air Station for the launch of the GT Speed, and we’d agreed to create a gymkhana-style course there, the next step was to design a film unlike anything we’d shot before,” said Mike Sayer, head of product communications at Bentley. “Sliding a metallic yellow Bentley around an abandoned airbase is certainly an experience and new territory for us, but the result shows just how dynamic the best Grand Tourer in the world has become.”

The film was shot by David Hale, an award-winning automotive filmmaker, who was supported by drone pilot and videographer Mark Fagelson.

For the video, the new Continental GT Speed was joined by a 1952 R-Type Continental from Bentley’s heritage collection. In its day, the car was the fastest four-seater in the world and, according to the brand, was the inspiration for the design of the modern Continental GT.

The Continental GT Speed is powered by a twin-turbo W12 engine that produces 626 hp (635 PS/467 kW) and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque. Although it sends its power to all four wheels, the majority of the torque is sent to the rear, helping it perform the drifts in this video.