The Bentley Continental GT has always been good at one thing—being a continent cruiser. Other than being supremely comfortable and luxurious, like its Rolls Royce Wraith and Dawn rivals, the Continental has the added attraction of having a sporty edge. As a result, it can easily outrun both rival ‘Rollers’, as well as many sports cars, and has a higher top speed than some supercars— andall of this whilst being cocooned in plush leather and thick carpets.
Bentley has built GT cars since the 1950s with the launch of the R-Type Continental. It was a fastback-coupé based on the Bentley R-Type saloon, which itself was nearly identical to the Rolls Royce Silver Dawn. From 1919 until 1998, Bentley cars were all produced by Rolls Royce and their drivetrains were either inherited or shared Rolls Royce chassis and engines, which led to criticism that they were simply rebadged Rolls Royces.
The modern Continental GT was introduced in 2003 after the purchase of Bentley by Volkswagen. It came with a VW-developed Twin-Turbo W12 engine from the Phaeton, which produced more power than the 6.75L Turbo V8 it replaced. The current-generation Continental GT was introduced in 2018 and showcased some cool features, some of which hark back to the Bentleys of old.
8 First-of-its-Kind Exterior
The exterior of the Bentley Continental GT is quite unique. It utilizes a new method of aluminum forming, allowing more complex shapes to be created and molded.
The result of this includes a sharp crease running from above the front headlight to the rear arch, and another one encompassing said rear arch, something that would not be possible with conventional methods. These design elements are reminiscent of the classic Bentleys with their flamboyant wheel arches.
7 (Potentially) Colorful Interior
As with many luxury car brands, the interior customization options for a Continental GT are nearly endless. There are boundless color combinations to choose from for the leather interior – including two-tone options and even a separate color for the dashboard! Fancy a blue dash with yellow and red seats and green stitching? Go right ahead!
Bentley do have an online configurator to play around with, however if more personal customizations are required, or if one would like professional help in speccing a new Continental, visiting a dealership or the factory in the UK, could help in optioning one’s own art gallery on wheels.
6 The First (And So Far Only) Rotating Infotainment Screen
The leather colors aren’t the only interior custom choices. The Bentley Rotating Display is a first in the motor industry. It showcases a 12.3-inch display from the VW Group which has been Bentleyfied to add to the extravagance of the car.
There are three sides to the display: one is fitted with the screen for infotainment purposes, the second houses the traditional Bentley chronometer, compass, and an outside air temperature gauge, and the third side is plain to match the dash wood, metal, or carbon fiber option.
5 Fast And Expensive GT Car With A Hybrid?
As with any luxurious GT car, the Continental is offered with some powerful engine choices. The first is the 6.0L Twin-Turbo W12 developed specifically for Bentley. It has 620hp and 660lb.ft of torque. It comes in two states of tune, GT and Speed – with the Speed adding an additional 30hp. The second engine is a 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8, producing 550hp and 570lb.ft and has a more guttural exhaust sound compared with the W12.
Finally, Bentley is considering offering the Continental with a 2.9L Twin-Turbo V6 Hybrid after the success of the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid in China. This would be a big deal as it would be the first environmentally friendly mass-produced luxury GT car manufactured (until the impending Rolls Royce Spectre EV).
4 Porsche Bits All Over
The Continental GT shares much of the underpinnings with the second-generation Porsche Panamera, including the platform, engines and gearbox.
The only exception is the W12, which was specifically designed for the Continental, Bentayga and Flying Spur. All Continentals are all-wheel-drive, with a rear-drive bias and come with the Bentley Dual-Clutch Transmission – which is actually Porsche’s brilliant PDK transmission for quick shifts.
3 Special Editions, Because You’d Want Them
As with many luxury cars, there are special editions to make them even more exclusive than they already are. The Continental is no different. To celebrate the launch of the new Continental, Mulliner joined the Bentley team to become their in-house ‘tailor’ and to offer more exclusive interior options. Mulliner also produced the limited-run Number 9 Edition to welcome the entirely new Continental GT.
To celebrate Bentley’s record time up the Pikes Peak Hill-Climb course with their GT3 racecar, they created a limited-run Continental GT Pikes Peak Edition, featuring more carbon fiber than a racing boat and with little Pikes Peak maps throughout the interior. Color choices were black or green or a mixture of both.
2 Big Decision – Roof Up or Roof Down?
An important question to ask when deciding to buy a luxury GT is always, “Do I want to be seen in it?”. Regardless of the answer to that question, driving a Continental GT will always be an occasion, and because of that, why not make it a topless occasion? The Bentley Continental is offered in both GT Coupé and GTC Convertible form with any of the engines, offering even more customizability.
1 Chrome Or Gloss Black?
With so many options to choose from and decisions to make, there is one more – Continental GT or GTC to look luxurious or sporty? Luckily, Bentley has a simple solution for this – Chrome trim or gloss black? Choosing the Chrome look gives the Continental an aura of luxurious stature, like one should be driven rather than driving it.
The Gloss Black on the other hand, makes the Continental look like a proper driver’s car to hoon around a racetrack. So, whether deciding to go for a blast on the German Autobahn or a coastal cruise in the sunny Riviera, there is a Continental for every taste.