We know all know the displacements are the same. What are the engine internal differences between the continental GT W12 and the continental GT Speed ? Are they identical except for a more aggressive tune ? Different size turbos ? Different cylinder heads ? Different cam profile ?

 

Same crank, stronger rods and stronger pistons for a start. Some modification to the heads so gaskets don't fail as much.
As to turbos. I would like to know if they are the same or bigger ?

 

I have wondered this myself. After getting pipes and a tune with resulting numbers or torque and hp equalling the Speed motor it makes me wonder??

 

Agree DrD and a blown head gasket is no fun; wont even try to mention the other really $$ bits to fix. Took the GTC out today and ya know what, she is fun just the way she is (famous last words, I know).

 

IMO, from what I have checked on my car/IETIS, there is little difference from MY2010 on.
ECU, gearbox, brakediscs and for US shocks are different between GT and Speed/SS.
E.g. rods, cyl.heads, pistons, turbo are identical for all versions.
Nevertheless MY 2005 and earlier have substantual differences.

christian

 

That makes perfect sense to me. I could not image that the MoCo would spend much $ to make much if any real hardware modifications to get the power they wanted for the Speed. It is so common for a manufacture to make a motor and detune it for the first years and add a bit of tune each year to sell the "new" power to customers. I thought it was very telling that after my pipes and tune the cars had nearly the same power output. The seats, shocks brakes and trim I can believe are different.

 

The difference between the pre 2008 gt and the 2008 speed onwards is in fact Rods, Pistons and head work.
The early GT suffered rod and piston failures when tuned. The 2008 speed engine is substantially different from the early GT engine. Fact
some useful info
http://www.rrab.com/bcontgts.htm
http://www.edmunds.com/bentley/conti...road-test.html

 

Well looks like I am wrong AGAIN!

 

Makes a change its normally me.

 

Thanks Sunnyside and good to know about the internal engine changes. Makes me happier I did not mod the '07.

PS: Added 'rep' to your profile. Thanks for info!!!

 

Thanks for that, your welcome.
I'm Frank btw .....much better than the name of our B&B " Sunnyside"

 

To late for me I'm all jacked up.

 

Hi Frank @Sunnyside,

I am curious to find out more about the rod and piston failures when pre-2008 were tuned. I am asking because I have just tuned my 07 GT and am still within the 30-day 'trial'.

I specifically want to know if it involves all stages of tune (mine is stage 1) or just some specific stages? I searched the net on this but could not get any info. Thanks.

 

TBH its only what I have heard and feed back from tuners etc. The problem was big power tunes not the extra 50/70 bhp and 80/90 ft lbs torque that you get from either a stage 1 or 2 tune. I couldn't find any research data suggesting the older engine was any less reliable after a minor tune. I have been told by a UK tuner that when you start to tune these for big numbers then issues start especially when they are taken beyond the normal rev limit.

I'm surmising here but perhaps when the engine was tested for use in the Speed and Super Sports they found the older engine to have the issues.
All manufactures have a massive safety envelop on engines to cater for all driving styles and to be blunt idiot drivers so perhaps they felt the standard W12 engine just didn't have the limits of reliability they wanted when it was tuned for 600+ BHP. Not forgetting they might have taken it to ( for eg) 700+ hp to prove the reliability before tuning to the 602 bhp that the speed has now.
Its a theory .........

Bottom line is personally IMHO I wouldn't be worrying about useful lower power/torque gain from a reputable tuner.

 

Phew, thanks for the info, Frank. Now I feel safer revving a little on occasions when I feel like it.