Bentley unleashes powerful convertible; in association with fish4cars.

BENTLEY has timed the arrival of its most powerful convertible car ever with the depths of the global credit crunch.

The 200mph supercar has been many months in the making, and the company has decided to go ahead with its introduction regardless, banking on attracting enough footballers and oligarchs to make it worthwhile.

Indeed, so few of the bespoke British beasts will be produced that Bentley is expecting a waiting list for the unfeasibly fast GTC Speed, which has its power boosted to 600bhp.

With the triple-layer canvas hood in place, the top speed is in excess of 200mph, and, for those who prefer hurricane-in-the-hair motoring, it can still manage a non-aerodynamic 195mph with the roof down.

Power comes courtesy of Volkswagen's six-litre, 12- cylinder engine, which is basically two three-litre V6s joined at the hip with a turbocharger each. This endows the car with neck-jerking acceleration to 60mph in just 4 1/2 seconds, despite its significant weight.

The pounds 146,100 Continental GTC Speed is visually distinguished by subtle design details including lower air intake grilles, larger diameter multi-spoke wheels, lowered and uprated suspension, wider twin-rifled exhaust tail pipes and a new boot-mounted lip spoiler.