Buying a new car can seem like a terrifying proposition even during normal times, from managing high-pressure sales situations to coping with the knowledge that a car can lose thousands of dollars of value the second it leaves the dealership lot. All cars depreciate steeply other than the rarest sports cars and supercars ever made — perhaps unsurprisingly, high-end luxury models depreciate the worst, since anyone spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a plush new ride doesn't want something that's (gasp) been used by someone else! That fact also means that for anyone bold enough to make the investment, some of the world's fanciest cars are now totally attainable — but how do they keep up with their newer brethren. Well, the streaming YouTube channel Throttle House set out to discover just that by comparing and contrasting a 2020 Bentley Continental GT with its 2007 predecessor, which is worth a mere fraction of the new car's MSRP today.
Sticker Shock
The 2020 Bentley Continental GT comes with a startling starting price of $202,500 — but things only go up from there for buyers who truly want to drop serious cash on their luxurious super-coupe. The engine options include a 4.0-liter V8 and a 6.0-liter W12, the former of which is being tested by Throttle House here.
Both engines benefit from a twin-turbocharger setup, though the V8 model shaves 130 pounds off the W12 and produces a respectable 542 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque. The 2007 Continental GT that's been sourced for this video is, somehow, an affordable option on the used market with a twin-turbocharged W12 under the hood. This 552-horsepower version can be found, apparently, for under $50,000 in Canada (in Canadian dollars, which translates to about $40,000 in America).
Comfy At Any Cost
But as beefy as the Bentley Continental GT remains regardless of powerplant choice, the style and luxury are what this model is all about. Both cars certainly include gorgeous opulence such as fine leather, soft-close doors, wood trim, and — but of course — a chrome oil-filler cap. The new car might include a four-inch-stretched wheelbase, but the exterior design touches might turn some buyers off if they prefer the cleaner lines of the older designs. Watch the video to learn whether James and Thomas would prefer the older car or if, given the choice, they'd go for the newer, more powerful, more expensive version.
Sources: youtube.com and bentleymotors.com