I Drove the Bentley Continental GT S to a Wellness Retreat, But it Was the Car That Renewed My Spirit
This stealth luxury coupe hides a hidden personality under its elegant facade: A sport-tuned chassis that lets its 671 HP powertrain juice your adrenaline.
Your spirit truly starts to rebound when stick season gives way to the young green sprouts of Spring. Buildings and people soften against the backdrop of the landscape; the days are warmer than they look, even with wintry clouds overhead.
Even though we know Spring is on the way, we may need reassurance, especially if the winter was a bitter one. This Spring, my reset came in the form of testing the 2026 Bentley Continental GT S, the newest iteration of the bespoke automaker’s elegant two-door sports coupe. It looked perfectly at home parked in front of The Ranch Hudson Valley, a wellness retreat set in an estate built at the turn of the last century for the daughter of J.P. Morgan. Its boxwood-lined gravel courtyard and soaring stone facade were the perfect backdrop for this elegant, intimate coupe.
The Ranch experience is designed to renew the body, mind and spirit with wholesome foods, meditative experiences and a detox from the stresses of our busy worlds. But would it be as restorative as a drive through the Catskill Mountains in the GT S?
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. Additionally, I was Bentley’s guest for this experience but all opinions are my own.
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The Bentley’s Design Alone Creates a Feeling of Refinement
After a relaxing (mostly) tech-free morning, indulging house-made breads, seasonal vegetables and clean foods accented by the retreat’s “caviar,” a charcoal-rich black sea salt, it was time to head out.
Climbing into the Bentley Continental GT S felt both special and familiar; the split leather interior of our Glacier White test model was a composition of black and camel with black suede accents. From there, everything was as expected; the steering wheel greets you with easy-to-use controls; a head-up display shows navigation directions; the digital driver’s display, which can be customized, displays engine information and fuel and battery levels; the center control panel holds all the quick-access buttons and dials swathed in textured metal, like a watch bezel. The drive mode selector, with the stop/start button at its center, sits prominently at the center of the panel.
And the center screen—a rotating display in our model that flips to show a screen, display an array of gauges, or a swath of the dashboard’s veneer—is where you’ll find navigation, radio, Apple CarPlay and vehicle settings that allow you to perfect the ideal experience in the car.
Overall, the cabin, constrained by the Continental’s sleek roofline that dips elegantly toward the rear trunk spoiler, feels cozy and the suede accents made it feel even more so. I was ready to settle in with Lawrence, my drive partner, and explore the back roads of Upstate New York on this damp Spring day. I tapped the starter button and the screens came alive, the Continental’s plug-in hybrid electric powertrain silently ready to drive.
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True Luxury, and True Freedom, is Power Under Foot
Leaving the solace of The Ranch under electric power seemed appropriate. And that’s just one of the things that the Bentley Continental GT S does so well: it can drive in silence under battery power for about 50 miles.
But once we turned onto the highway, it was time to unleash the beast in this sports car—because that is what it is at its heart: A 671 HP V8 turbo with a sport-tuned chassis that has both the skill and power to deliver all the fun and thrills of a world-class sports car.
Tapping the drive mode selector over to sport mode, the V8 turbo rumbles to life, loud enough to satisfy any true sports car fan. It sounds and feels good. And it delivers. Floor the accelerator and the Continental GT S takes off like a shot. Ease onto the accelerator to merge onto the highway or pass another car and it instantly picks up speed. In a blink, you’re pushing the speed limit, which is the real luxury here: Instant power eliminates the wait for acceleration or the momentary worry of not being able to get ahead of other traffic.
Watch: Tour the Bentley GT Convertible with us!
GT S: A Stealth Blend of Elegance and Performance-Level Power
The Continental GT S might be the most perfect Bentley coupe. Now in its fourth generation, it blends a powerful engine and luxe interior with a sporty suspension that makes this model capable of both sport driving and an elegant, leisurely drive.
The 2026 S model, though, heightens the experience: it builds on the base model’s V8 turbo plug-in hybrid powertrain by adding a sport-tuned chassis that combines four-wheel steering and Bentley’s dynamic ride system with an all-wheel drive system that is rear-wheel focused until the system senses the need to add traction to the front wheels. The system, called e-LSD, can even transfer power side to side as road conditions warrant.
The result is a drive that is thrilling and fun, but also confident and comfortable. During our drive, I found the GT S, both as a driver and a passenger, to be fun but not overly aggressive in the experience. As a passenger, I didn’t feel tossed around, and as a driver, I felt in control even at higher speeds on curvy roads. I really appreciate the quiet power of B mode, the default drive mode that splits the difference between comfort and sport modes.
B mode operates on hybrid power as a default, powered by the battery system until the V8 is needed, either when battery power runs low or your speed runs high. Tap the E-Mode button to allow the car to run solely on electric power.
In Sport mode, the Continental GT S takes on a different character, louder and more assertive. The sport chassis also comes alive, allowing you to hug every curve and still not toss your passenger around.
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All the Delight of the Bentley Continental in a Sporty Mid-Trim Model
The GT S model is the middle of the Continental lineup and offers the best of both worlds—comfort and sporty performance. The lineup—GT, Azure, GT S, Speed and Mulliner— starts at about $288,000 and tops out at over $450,000, and that’s before upgrades and custom details. The GT S starts at $292,000, about $60,000 and 100 HP less than the GT Speed.
The GT S is notable not just for its blend of power and performance, but also for the tell-tale “S” moniker on the front side panels and on the dash; dark chrome accents inside and out and the dark crystal tail lights. The effect is demure, lending even more surprise to its sporty performance.
But of course, this is Bentley, notable for sky’s-the-limit custom details that can add the price of the average luxury car to the bottom line. If screaming colors and bright leather are what you want, you’ve got it. If even more subdued elegance is your preference, it’s yours for the asking. And if a convertible top with a power up/down function and ‘air scarf’ vents in the front seats is what you really need, it’s yours for $29,000.
The Continental Buyer’s Conundrum: Convertible or Coupe?
If you ask an enthusiast or professional driver, they’ll assess the chassis, weight, handling and engine performance of the coupe vs. the convertible, which differ a bit thanks to the lack of a roof structure on the convertible. They’d probably prefer the coupe for true driving supremacy.
If you ask me, though, the convertible is the way to go. The performance and handling difference between them is negligible, as is the sound: the convertible has a nicely insulated structure that cuts out most of the road and ambient noise around the car. It’s nearly as quiet as the coupe. To be honest, I like the look of the coupe better, but the convertible gives you the option of pure joy when you’d like, and silence when you need.
I drove top up and down and found that with the top down, I really appreciated the heated seats and the air scarf. Top up, it was quiet and comfortable. Those, for me at least, were the only differences. The Continental GTC S was just as sharp and powerful on the twisty back roads of Rockland County, New York, as the coupe.
Spirit, Renewed
As we returned to The Ranch, hair wind-blown from driving with the top down, I could feel my shoulders a bit more relaxed, my lungs taking the early Spring air in just a bit deeper, the tension between my eyes gone.
Certainly, a leisurely drive through the Catskills could have provided the mindfulness and tech detox that The Ranch offers. But putting the GT S into Sport mode kicks up your adrenaline and lets you feel the day, too. Wouldn’t it be nice to have that spirit renewal every day rather than only as a destination? But that’s the magic of the Continental GT S, delivering what you need, however you’d like it.
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