[align=center][/size]How to be `Happy Part II[/align][align=center]A `Space Dream[/align][align=center]0 to 60 MPH[/align][align=center]in[/align][align=center]4.3 Seconds[/align][align=center]WoW[/align][align=center][/font][/align][align=center][/align][align=center]"Dream `it ~ Plan `it ~ Act `it"[/align][align=center][/align][align=center][font="times new roman"][:-]Stage One Dream below [:-][/color]
[size=4]First Drive: 2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed
The most powerful version of the Continental GT yet.
December 2007
[:-]


[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Slideshow: 2008 Bentley Continental GT Speed >>
Jerez, Spain — Bentley has joined the ranks of the elite 200-plus-mph club with the Speed, its latest and most powerful version of the Continental GT. Developed partly as a response to those owners who had experienced engine failures after having their W-12 engines chipped in the pursuit of even more power, the Speed's engine now produces a mighty 600 bhp at 6000 rpm and 553 lb.-ft. of torque from 1750 to 5500 rpm.
Although aluminum front suspension and other weight-saving solutions have shaved off a few pounds, the coupe still tips the scales at a hefty 5180 lb. Nevertheless, the improvements made to the engine, which include lighter connecting rods and a reduction in internal pumping losses above 2000 rpm, mean the big coupe tops out at 202 mph, accomplishing zero to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds WOW
It is, however, the midrange performance that has the driver giggling and leaves other traffic trembling in its backwash: 30–50 mph is a doddle at 1.7 sec., while 50 to 70 mph takes just 2.3 sec. In fact, Bentley's Dr. Ulrich Eichorn maintains that midrange performance has improved by anything from 15 to 100 percent.
I have to admit that the Continental didn't push all the buttons for me when it was launched back in 2002: The sloping Bentley mesh grille didn't seem dynamic enough, while the driving position was compromised by the raked angle of the windshield. Most important, I felt the steering was inert and the dynamics too prone to understeer, thanks to that heavy W-12 hung out at the front.

[color=#0000ff]Slideshow >>[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]Driving the GTC in California a year ago started to change my opinion, and the updates to that model have spread to the GT Speed. By solidly mounting the front subframe and retuning the Servotronic system, steering feel has been greatly enhanced and damper rates have been altered. There's still a slight tendency for the steering to not weight up with true linearity when charging hard, but it generally feels more responsive. Understeer will always be present, but it feels much more contained than before.
The Speed looks more dynamic as well, thanks to the new front end that will also appear on the standard Continental. More upright, it actually helps aerodynamic efficiency and, on the Speed only, sucks 14 percent more cooling air into the engine and onto the front brakes.
[b]Speaking of which, for $16,500 on top of the $199,990 asking price for the Speed, ([color=#cc0

 

[align=center][/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that no matter how much I care some people just don't care back. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but whom you have in your life that counts. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And, just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center]I’ve learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt, and you will hurt in the process. [/align][align=center][:-][/align][align=center][font="times new roman"][size=4]I've learned that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things a