After decades of continental-crushing performance, Bentley has finally retired the amazing 6-litre twin turbo W12 engine; an inevitable change that’s been on the cards for some time, given the ever-tightening emissions regulations in Europe. Now, in its place under the long hood of the new flagship Continental GT Speed, sits a hybrid powertrain. But fossil fuel lovers, don’t panic! The new Continental retains the exceptional V8 but can now borrow torque from electric trickery.

Let’s start with the powertrain then, as it’s undoubtedly the biggest change between this new Conti and the outbound pure petrol models.

The first thing to note is that the Continental GT is now a plug-in hybrid. The W12 that was hanging out over the front axle has now been replaced by a lighter twin turbo V8 engine, capable of generating a massive 584bhp in isolation without the hybrid assistance. Also, if you’ve driven both the last gen versions of the V8 and the W12, you’ll know retaining the V8 is certainly no bad thing, as it always sounded better than the W12 at full chat anyway.

The addition of the 25.9kWh battery packs adds some heft back onto the curb weight, but they’re sat over the rear wheels, helping the burly grand tourer retain excellent balance and poise. Weight distribution for the new model now sits at 49:51, meaning there’s a bit more chunk in the trunk than before. This car is around 200kg heavier overall than the previous W12 model. There’s an e-motor carefully positioned between the powerful V8 and the eight-speed twin clutch transmission. This helps fill in power and torque figures with a further 187bhp, pushing the total power output up to a staggering 771bhp and a road ripping 1,000 Nm-torque.

The GT Speed absolutely earns its title. 100km/h will be met in 3.2 seconds from standing in the 2,459kg coupe, and 3.4 seconds in the even heavier roofless GTC, which tips the scales at 2,636kg. Seriously quick for such a lump of a car, but this new Bentley pulls like a freight train.

With the 25.9kWh battery in the boot, Bentley claims you could get an electric-only 50-mile range. Fast charging isn’t an option for the Continental, so you’re looking at just over two and a half hours on your typical 11kW home charger to fill the lightning tank. The fact they went this route probably means that most Bentley owners plan to charge their cars at home overnight than out in the world, if they can avoid it. And for any eco-conscious owners, this nearly two and a half tonne grand tourer emits just 29g/km of CO2. Apparently. Which would make it even better for the environment than, say, a Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, which generates 31g/km.

Four-wheel steering, new supple twin-chamber dampers, and active anti-roll bars help to hide the new heft on the road, but the Continental was never a lightweight racer to begin with. There is an impressive array of chassis updates being ushered in with this new model though. Aside from the aforementioned upgrades hidden under the skin, most of the Continental’s design remains largely unchanged. And that’s not a bad thing, as the previous version, now nearing six years in production, is still to my eyes one of the best-looking cars ever made. No one will change my mind.

From the outside, the front and rear valances have had a little nip and tuck, but nothing revolutionary. The most obvious change is to the headlight cluster – the iconic dual lamps either side have gone. Instead, they’ve condensed all the required illuminations into a single lamp that features a distinctive new slash that cuts through the traditional circular bezzle. A good look, given this is something of a mid-gen refresh, but I must admit to preferring the old twin lamps on either flank, looking like a perfect pair of crystal whisky tumblers. Inside the cabin, there are only very minor tweaks over the last gen car visible to the untrained eye. Everything on display here remains top quality and the finish is nothing short of superb and surpasses everything else in its class.

While a few prospective owners – and petrolheads on the internet who will never come close to driving one – might post online about their grievances in the decommission of the W12, the V8 hybrid is superior in every aspect. This new Continental is the best it has ever been. Balanced, poised, powerful and ludicrously fast for something this size. The Bentley Continental GT Speed is the absolute pinnacle of grand touring. And if the introduction of this excellent hybrid powertrain means we can keep cars like this in production for a little longer, how can you not love it?

Power: 771 bhp and 1,000 Nm-torque
0-100km/h: 3.2 seconds
Top Speed: 355 km/h
Market Alternatives: Ferrari 12 Cilindri, Aston Martin Vanquish, Maserati GranTourismo, Mercedes-AMG GT
Price: From €300.000 plus local taxes