A fresh batch of spy shots of the Bentley Continental GT plug-in hybrid appears to show a more production-ready example of the luxurious coupe. Oddly, it continues to wear W12 engine badges.
Like the car in the earlier spy shots, this one has a square opening in the front grille. The exposed, dome-shaped element appears to be a sensor for the driver assistance tech.
Gallery: Bentley Continental GT PHEV Spy Photos
Along the sides, this car's lower front fender has the "12" badge. We think this is a red herring, though. There's no indication of Bentley using its W12 powerplant as the basis for a new plug-in-hybrid offering. The Flying Spur PHEV uses a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 making a total of 536 horsepower (399 kilowatts) and 553 pound-feet (726 Newton-meters) of torque.
The door for the charging port incorporates into the driver's side rear fender. It even picks up the crease that runs along this area so that the PHEV model resembles the models with other powertrains.
There's possibly another red herring at the back. The oval-shaped exhaust pipes are pieces we usually see on the W12 model.
We can only get a glimpse into the interior, but it appears identical to the standard Continental GT. This would fit with how Bentley outfits the brand's other PHEV offerings.
In terms of powertrain, it seems most likely for Bentley to use the twin-turbo V6 setup from the Flying Spur PHEV. Our spies think there might be alternatives, though. They are speculating the possibility of the plug-in Continental GT using the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 from the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid that produces a total of 689 hp (514 kW). Just from looking at the exterior, there are no hints about what's under the hood.
In 2021, Bentley admitted that a plug-in hybrid Continental GT was under consideration. The company said that customers were expressing interest in such a model. Given that there are already Flying Spur and Bentayga PHEVs, it only makes sense to add the Conti GT to those offerings.
There's no sign yet of when the Continental GT PHEV might debut. This vehicle appears nearly production-ready, though. We wouldn't be surprised to see an unveiling before the end of the year.
Bentley is investing £2.5 billion into its UK operations over the next 10 years. A portion of that money is going toward creating the brand's first electric vehicle in 2025. It's reportedly a crossover. By 2030, the plan is for all of the automaker's products to be fully electrified.
