Bentley Continental GT
At last, we drive sumptuous new grand tourer on British roads
Bentley hopes the all-new Continental GT will be crowned the most luxurious supercar in the world, and this W12-engined edition certainly comes close. The 2+2 seater impresses with its strong performance and high-quality interior, while the tweaked design provides a fresher look, without spoiling the distinctive profile. The car is still enormously thirsty and heavy, though, which is why we expect the new, even lighter V8 model to be the pick of the range.
If the Candy brothers are building your next house, and your watch was hand-made in Switzerland, the new Bentley Continental GT ought to be on your shopping list.
It’s 65kg lighter than the car it replaces, as well as sharper to drive and more crisply styled, and follows the idea that less is more – particularly in terms of design and engineering.
While 90 per cent of the bodywork is all-new, the styling is heavily inspired by the previous Continental GT, and the similarity is entirely intentional. Bosses say this is Bentley’s own Porsche 911, so you can expect future models to offer the same silhouette, but with different evolutions of the engine and gearbox. To prove that point, a new 4.0-litre V8 arrives in this car later this year.
Used - available now
2020 Bentley
Continental GT
19,900 milesAutomaticPetrol6.0L
Cash £98,000
2017 Bentley
Continental GT
36,800 milesAutomaticPetrol4.0L
Cash £34,490
2021 Bentley
Continental GT
33,950 milesAutomaticPetrol4.0L
Cash £134,995
2017 Bentley
Continental GT
48,575 milesAutomaticPetrol4.0L
Cash £41,495For the time being, the firm’s tried and tested 6.0-litre W12 provides the power. It drives all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.
This is the first time we have tried the Continental GT in the UK. On paper, there’s no shortage of things to get excited about. With 567bhp and 700Nm of torque, the leaner, meaner newcomer will accelerate from 0-62mph in only 4.4 seconds, while top speed is a claimed 198mph. Crucially, by reducing the kerbweight, the firm has also improved the massive engine’s economy and reduced its emissions. Expect fuel returns of around 17mpg and a 360g/km CO2 output.
Cutting back the weight has not meant scaling down on luxury, though. Our car was exquisitely trimmed inside, with a mixture of quilted and hand-stitched leathers and a machined aluminium dash.
There are also new details, including a revised eight-inch satellite navigation system (with Apple iPad-like touch control) and a redesigned dashboard. The latter is marked out by its arcing leather detailing and piano black inserts, and was a beautiful finishing touch to our model. It doesn’t end there. Although prices start from £135,760, it’s easy to top that up. This version cost a cool £176,435, thanks to the addition of features such as an £11,000 brake kit and a £5,200 optional sound system.
Getting going is easy. Put the key in the ignition and thumb the starter button and the engine whirrs into life. Then slot the knurled aluminium gearlever home in ‘drive’, release the brakes and plant the throttle.
When we first drove this car, on 21-inch wheels, the ride was very stiff, and the steering short on feel. Thankfully, Bentley seems to have got to grips with this, and our test model provided crisp, accurate steering and far more supple suspension than before.
As you begin to accelerate, the bassy exhaust note and smooth responses make the Continental feel a relaxed, laid back performer. Despite the impressive thrust on offer, it never quite seems as potent as the 567bhp suggests.
However, if you have room on the road, and can keep the throttle pinned to the carpet, the W12’s character changes, becoming harder edged and more urgent. The turbos blow hardest as the needle sweeps towards its 6,200rpm red line.
Gearchanges, too, become faster, and as the paddleshift system fires through ratios like a cannon, it’s easy to imagine this car exceeding its claimed top speed and hitting 200mph.
Good news, then, that the carbon ceramic brakes feel so powerful. The all-disc set-up has huge stopping performance, and is fluster free. Our only gripe is that the arrangement is a bit noisy around town.
But this is hardly going to be a deal breaker for Bentley buyers, who will revel in this car’s torque and performance, as well as its bespoke feel.
