Bentley rolled out the ragtop—or tweed-top, as the case may be—version of the 2022 Continental GT Speed this week, bringing a spring breeze to the new model year coupe that was revealed only a few weeks ago.
The news may not have quite the impact of the automaker’s announcement of a Florida high-rise residential development in the works—the ‘Bentley Residences’ building gives the company’s lifestyle branding aspirations a locus both geographical and, such as it is, philosophical—but its welcome news for the springtime. And it’s very likely that this year will be a big year for convertibles.
Starting with the convertible top: this year, customers can get theirs in tweed; if the car comes with a pipe lighter as well, it could be a dream model for a lit professor. Perhaps next year they can design one with an AI-driven iambic pentameter generator.
Other top options for the top-of-the-pops ragtop include a series of interior liner finishes, and exterior colors that help make individual examples more individual. The top can be raised and lowered in 19 seconds, as long as the car’s speed doesn’t exceed 30 MPH, and it boasts a unique folding design to keep cabin noise down.
Like the hardtop version of the car, the model comes with a 6L W12 that produces up to 650 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. The convertible is base stickered at $302,400; the hard-top is priced from $274,900.