Winston Churchill is credited with the following insight, delivered to the Royal Society: “Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse.”

Certainly, England is the land of longstanding traditions, such as Guy Fawkes Night, cheese rolling and 12-cylinder Bentleys. But in the case of the latter, tradition must yield to modernity, as the world’s governments are forcing the issue of automobile electrification. So, the Bentley Continental GT’s 650-horsepower twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 is yielding its throne to a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 and an electric motor. But as it turns out, tradition isn’t quite the bargain it seemed to be.

The Continental’s new powertrain is more powerful, generating 771 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. But unlike the W-12, the new plug-in hybrid provides 50 miles of fossil-fuel-free driving as the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission funnels power to all four wheels. Yet it comes packaged in a car that’s the pinnacle of Bentley tradition: the Continental GT coupe.

Its bloodline dates to the 1952 Continental R-Type, a combination of speed, style and comfort that helped define grand touring. Produced through 1955 and revived in 2003, the 2025 is the fourth generation of the revived Continental GT, a car that retains the elements that make it an object of unbridled lust.

Still a stunning two-door coupe with swoopy, undulating lines, its form suggests its sportiness as well as its refinement. It’s evident as you sling the slice of sexiness to 60 mph in less than three seconds. But check out its form again. There’s an edginess that acts as counterpoint to its smooth, flowing lines. If there’s anything that takes getting used to, it’s the oversized square grille that’s artlessly plastered to this Bentley’s proboscis.

But the Continental GT plug-in hybrid is a rarity, a midsize slab of personal luxury that has few rivals. Once common type up and down the automotive food chain, the Continental GT is now an indulgence reserved for those who can afford six figures. For those who can, it proves to be a rarified gem; a big car with big power, big brakes, optional $18,820 17.3-inch carbon-ceramics, and big sound, in this case, a 2,200-watt Naim audio system.

As with any dose of electrification, the Bentley’s powertrain offers a huge dose of silence, smoothness and refinement that exudes a luxury aura. How can such pure power be such pure velvet? Oh, sure, you could criticize its 16-mpg combined fuel economy rating. But if you can afford the car, you can afford to feed it. That said, it’s understandable that a 9 cubic foot trunk isn’t the expansive space you might need for that idyllic weekend getaway, unless all you’re wearing is a wink and a smile.

But to be bothered by such minutiae is to miss the point of this car. It’s indulgence. And passion. And opulence. And speed. And velvet sharp handling. It’s the echoes of hundreds of races run by the Bentley Boys and their progeny. You can even change its attitude. Comfort would seem to be its normal mode. But there’s Sport, which elicits the requisite exhaust and engine noise while sharpening its reflexes. It also allows the gas engine to recharge the battery, so that you can use the EV mode at a more appropriate time. Yet it’s no softy. It has the muscle to move its mass with a certain sharpness and alacrity that’s entrancing. You can feel the athlete beneath its lavishness. The cabin’s finishes are exquisite.

I could tell you how it handles, how fast it is, how it coddles and spoils its occupants. But you already knew that. At this price, you expect greatness, and you get it.

It’s very, well, continental, with the manners and mores of an upright, modern British citizen. Just ignore the fact that Bentley is actually owned by Volkswagen Group and this car’s powertrain is used elsewhere in the German automaker’s empire, albeit in modified form. As those at Bentley like to remind me, there are a slew of engineers in Crewe, England to make something with German roots seem unquestionably British. You know, like the House of Windsor.

You could pay more for a car like this, or less. But the 2025 Bentley Continental’s modern take on a classic form echoes its heritage in a way few car brands do or choose to do these days.

That makes it an alluring buy, as long as you don’t mind spending $306,250.

2025 Bentley Continental GT plug-in hybrid

Base price: $306,250-$363,550

Engine: Twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 and A/C electric motor

Horsepower/Torque: 771/738 pound-feet

EPA rating (combined city/highway): 16 mpg

EV range: 50 miles

Length/Width/Height: 193/77/55 inches

Ground clearance: 4 inches

Payload: Not availabile

Cargo capacity: 9 cubic feet

Towing capacity: Not rated

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