Bentley Continental GT Speed

LOAT INTO THE CUSHIONED SEAT and hear a little sigh from the quilted leather as you settle into what is by today’s standards a chair of larger than normal proportions. The sound of a motor whirrs over your shoulder as the chrome-plated hook brings you your seatbelt. Pull the door closed and hear the double-glazed window rise a millimetre or two to seal the cabin. No need to press the starter button because the W12 is already running, audible – just – over the Sicilian morning soundtrack. Left foot on the brake pedal, one hand grasping the gear selector, the other finding its grip on the Alcantara steering wheel…