Bentley Car Review: The $384,000 Continental GTC Speed Offers a Smooth and Powerful Ride

Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark said to CNBC that "these models are almost sold out." The V-12 is dead. Lamborghini Bentley and Rolls-Royce all have announced that they will phase out their V-12 engines in the next few years as we move into the era of hybrids and electric cars. Bentley launched the Continental GTC Speed as the King of Combustion was nearing the end of his road. The "W-12" is a road burner with three banks of four-cylinders in a sort of "W" arrangement. Bentley Continental GTC Speed Kingfisher

The GTC Speed, despite a price of around $400,000 is selling quickly. Hallmark told CNBC that "these models are almost sold out." The model that I drove was priced at $384,000. The color of the car is "Kingfisher", a shimmering, luminous blue, which, like its namesake bird was born to soar. Bentley Continental GTC Speed Kingfisher

One of my favorite and most popular options is the "rotating dashboard," which flips a section of carbon-fiber dash over when the digital display starts. It's like the supercar equivalent of the secret wall of a mansion library. The extra cost is $6,600, but when you spend $380,000 on a car what's six grand more? The drive is what makes the Continental GTC Speed so beautiful. The GTC Speed, as befits an automobile with many personalities, has three driving modes - comfort, custom, and Bentley. Comfort mode makes you feel like you are floating, even in the pothole-ridden streets of New York or New Jersey. CNBC's Kelly Evans in a Bentley with Robert Frank

Comfort mode could be used to transport a Bentley driver in Southern California or Southern Florida. These are two of Bentley's largest markets. In sport mode, the W-12 will roar like a dragon that has been roused. The suspension is tightened into a crouch, and the GTC can go from 0-60 in just 3.6 seconds. The Continental GTC Speed accelerates, corners and stops like a supercar that weighs less than 5,300 pounds. There are certainly better sports cars, and there are also better luxury comfort rides. The Continental GTC Speed is a car that combines the best of both worlds - a screaming W-12 and upscale comfort - in arguably the most impressive way.