2015 Bentley GTC Speed

Although registered in 2015, this Speed model arrived with the 2016 facelift – making it the final iteration before wholesale changes were introduced for the third generation of Continental GTs, which was based on the second-generation Porsche Panamera platform.

With the 2016 facelift came yet more power, and our vendor’s stunning 4 wheel drive, 6 litre W12-engined British-built bruiser has 633bhp and 620lb/ft of torque on tap – which we understand to be slightly more than the Starship Enterprise.

This walloping great beast of an engine is capable of propelling almost 2.5 tonnes of hand-crafted car from 0-60mph in 4 seconds, 0-100mph in 9 seconds, and on to a top speed of 203mph. The optional carbon ceramic discs on this car can deccelerate it from 60mph to a complete standstill in just 110ft, or 33 metres if you prefer. Which is only slightly longer than it would take if you drove it into a brick wall.

The phenomenal stopping power of these brakes has to be experienced to be believed.

The particular car was first owner by a Chinese businessman with sufficiently deep pockets to tick most of the boxes on the eye-wateringly expensive options list.

Here are just a few (there are many, many others):

Naim Hi-Fi with sub-woofer - £5,695

Adaptive Cruise Control - £2,125

TV Tuner - £920

Carbon Ceramic Brakes - £10,825

Wi-Fi Hotspot - £845

Rear View Camera - £945

Vehicle Tracker - £1,400

Space Saver Spare - £520

Bluetooth Phone System - £350

All Manner Of Lovely ‘Premier Specification’ Extras and Enhancements - £Don’t Ask

Consequently, this car cost not far shy of £250,000 when new in 2015. Which is, frankly, bonkers.

Our vendor bought the car 2 years ago when it had around 5,000 miles on the clock. Now, given that this is a top of the range Bentley GTC Speed with loads of extras, you’d be forgiven for thinking that he is a Premier League footballer, a rapper, a hedge fund trader or similar.

No.

He is arguably the world’s foremost restorer of, and dealer in, the finest stringed instruments ever made – cellos, violins, violas by Stradivari, Amati, del Gesù and the other great masters of the 17th and 18th centuries. Hence the C9LLO registration which, unfortunately, isn’t included with the auction.

This tells us two things. Firstly, it explains why the Naim sound system in this car is just about the best you can get.

Secondly, it says that this is a man who recognizes exquisite craftsmanship when he sees it. Which is why he bought this car. Well, that and the fact that his wife said she really liked the look of it one day when they were passing a Jack Barclay showroom window.

He has taken it to Europe a couple of times and used it for one or two country weekends away in the UK. It has been optimally garaged, cossetted, cared for, serviced and appreciated throughout its life. And it shows.

The car is in absolutely exceptional condition – inside, outside, underneath, mechanically and aesthetically. It pulls like the Flying Scotsman and, in Sports mode, it sounds like a squadron of Chinook helicopters in a tunnel.

It’s simply awesome in every conceivable way.

The paint colour is White Sand. It has a beautiful, pearlescent finish and the vendor tells us that on a clear and sunny day it shimmers with the reflected blue of the sky.

The paintwork and finish are, as far as we can tell, flawless and there are no dinks, scrapes, nicks, chips or even basic road rash that we can see.

All the chrome work is shiny and bright. The huge 21-inch Speed alloy wheels have what is described as a ‘dark tint’ and are unmarked. Your attention, however, will inevitably be drawn to the enormous carbon ceramic discs and red calipers. The matching, barely worn-in, Pirelli P-Zero ZR21 275/35 tyres are in fine fettle and have virtually full tread.

The vibrant blue roof is in as-new condition and is a source of entertainment in itself. Raising or lowering it starts a balletic and gracefully choreographed sequence of actions and counteractions that wouldn’t look out of place on stage at Covent Garden.

Inside the fuel flap is a wonderfully tactile, machined aluminium, Bentley-liveried filler cap.

Wonderful.

What’s not to like?

Acres of hide, carpet and aluminum. All beautifully crafted. All in exceptional condition. All conspiring to create an unrivalled sense of occasion each and every time you get inside. This is a place that makes you feel more than a bit special.

The quilted, hand-stitched upholstery hide is coloured in a shade called Newmarket Tan (no, it’s not orange). The secondary hide colour is Imperial Blue and the roof lining is Saddle. By the way, the roof lining is crafted so expertly you really can’t tell where it joins the rest of the car and, when you’re driving with the roof up, you’re so well insulated from wind and road noise you’d swear you were in a coupé, not a convertible.

The seats have electric everything and move seamlessly in every direction you could think of, plus a couple you couldn’t. They are ventilated, of course, and they have a massage function. For those prone to suffering from cold ears when indulging in open-top motoring, there is a ‘neck warmer’ function.

The two-tone Tan and Blue hide extends to the rear seats, the door cards and the optional sports steering wheel. The dark tint aluminium fascia, centre console and roof console are an optional extra and are also in first-rate condition. The green-faced Breitling clock is a particularly classy touch.

The higher spec touches in the interior include the knurled ‘B’ gear lever, beautifully milled and machined (and unused) ash trays, drilled alloy sports pedals, ‘Speed’ badges and upholstery stitching, and the charming Bentley sunglasses storage unit by the gear lever.

All of it - from the seats and the carpets to the roof lining and all the electrical bits and pieces - is in top condition and works precisely as the fine engineers and craftspeople of Crewe intended.

The boot is filled with deep, rich, unmarked carpet and contains the wind deflector, a space saver spare wheel, and a warning triangle, toolkit and first-aid kit. It also has a Bentley-logo’d battery charger (yes, you guessed it –specified as an optional extra at a cost of £95 ) and a one litre bottle of Mobil 1 oil in its own embossed leather case. Too cute.

Yes, it has an underneath. No doubt about it. Not much to say really, as most of it is covered by trays and protectors - which seem to have done a sterling job of, er, protecting it. There is no rust visible anywhere. Everything is in its right and proper place and appears untroubled by time, mileage or mishap and there's an inbuilt tracker system to keep any potential trouble away.

It’s a similar story in the very clean and tidy engine bay where, we’re confident, something hugely complicated and powerful is hiding under those black plastic cowls and covers.

It d

The car has been serviced and maintained by Jack Barclay from new.

To date, the service intervals and mileages are:

23.9.16 - 2216 miles

13.9.17 - 3934 miles

28.12.18 - 5250 miles

4.2.20 – 8607 miles

The car’s MOT certificate, with no advisories, is valid until 24.11.21.

The car comes with all the original keys, handbooks, manuals and guides.

Even in the rarefied world of truly top-end vehicles, this stands out as being a bit special. Costing the best part of a quarter of a million British pounds sterling when new, it has retained its showroom freshness for the last five years and is, as far as we can tell, as good as the day it left the showroom.

This is a vehicle that combines ultimate luxury and style with mind-bending capability and performance in an exquisitely crafted package. It’s like having a civilised drink with Cary Grant at Claridges while simultaneously bombing down the Mulsanne Straight with your hair blowing in the wind. It’s mad, it’s glorious and we’d really quite like one ourselves.

We’re happy to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £80,000 - £100,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.