That was the case with Bentley's new Continental GT Speed, which trades a 12-cylinder powertrain for a plug-in-hybrid V-8 setup that makes 121 more horsepower. The surprising answer came right ...

The dual-clutch system means that the Speed offers legit launch control, with the V-8 chattering around 5100 rpm before a violent clutch drop flings 5415 pounds of Bentley to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds.