The Brits have always been good at making unnecessarily big, ridiculously powerful, needlessly luxurious, unreasonably expensive, and undeniably desirable Grand Tourers. They have always been better than their German and occasional American rivals. But what happens when you pitch two of the finest British GTs against each other for a little civil war?

This is a fight between Aston Martin Vanquish and the Bentley Continental GT Speed. The peacekeeper is MotorTrend‘s Carlos Lago:

On one corner we have the impossibly beautiful Vanquish, boasting an ancient but still brilliant 6.0 liter V12 engine, a hand-made cabin that is less than perfect in places, and a pair of exhaust pipes that emit one of the nicest engine noise ever recorded in the history of automotive. It is more exciting than the Bentley, but it is not as relaxing, or just fast. It costs $300,000.

The new Bentley GT Speed is cheaper at $250,000, and offers a lot more than good looks and a great British badge. Its W12 engine churns out well over 600 horsepower, and although it weighs slightly less than the Buckingham palace and has pretty much the same aerodynamic properties, it is quicker in the straight line than the Aston. Perfect fit and finish, conventional controls, and all-wheel-drive are among the advantages of the Speed.