WORLD'S PUREST GRAND TOURER - BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT

BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT

Bentley Continental GT

As a favorite of Rappers, superstar athletes, and million- and billionaires, the Bentley Continental GT is perhaps the best Grand Tourer the world has seen. Despite losing the Bentley charm, it is the fastest and coolest Bentley ever. From it’s big broad looks to it’s awesome performing engine, everything in Continental is purely exclusive. Continental GT is produced by british car manufacturer Bentley since 2003. It received a facelift in 2011, and since then, GT is offered with three engines - a 500-hp V-8, a 521-hp V-8 S, and a 582-hp W-12, W-12 being the fastest. The new V-8 engine is not only 10 per cent cheaper up front, but also goes 40 per cent further per gallon of fuel. The W12 remains - in 205mph Speed guise, being the fastest Bentley ever.

Bentley Continental GT is featured in many racing video games. It featured in Need For Speed : World, Shift 2 Unleashed, a Supersports version appeared in Need For Speed : Hot Pursuit (2010) and GT V8 version in Need For Speed : Rivals. Continetal GT has also appeared in Forza Horizon series, Forza Motorsport series and The Crew.

Bentley Continental GT Supersport in Need For Speed : Hot Pursuit

Bentley Continental GT in Forza Horizon 2

Bentley Continental GT in The Crew

FIRST GENERATION (2003 – 2011)

Bentley Continental GT (2003)

The first generation Continental GT was unveiled at 2003 Geneva Motor Show. The car was mostly hand assemebled but some parts needed to be mass produced. The price was significantly lower than older Bentley Continental R & T models. The car featured a 6.0-litre twin turbocharged W-12 engine which produced 552 bhp and 650 Nm of torque. Power was delivered through a 6-speed triptronic automatic transmission. Torsen-based permanent four-wheel drive was standard. It was capable of reaching from 0 to 100 kmph in 4.8 seconds. The top speed was 318 kmph (197 mph). The car is one of the heaviest cars having a massive weight of 2350 Kg! – almost double of most supersports cars.

The car had a wide range of colour choices - 6 body colours (Diamond Black, Burnt Oak, Cypress, Neptune, Spruce, and Umbrian Red), 8 hide colours (Beluga, Burnt Oak, Laurel, Nautic, Portland, Saffron, Savannah, Saddle), 5 veneer types (Burr Oak, Burr Walnut, Dark Stained Walnut, Madrona, Piano Black), 4 carpet and seatbelt colours (Beluga, Burnt Oak, Laurel, Nautic).

Bentley Continental GT's Interior

Continental GT Supersports (2009)

Bentley Continental GT Supersports (2010)

In 2009, Bentley unveiled a faster and advanced version of Continental GT – The Continental GT Supersports. It was first Bentley capable of running on both petrol (gasoline) and biofuel (E85 ethanol). It’s 6.0-litre W-12 engine was rated a 621 bhp and 800 Nm of torque. The car was capable of reaching from 0 to 100 kmph in just 3.7 seconds and had a top speed of 321 kmph (204 mph) making it the fastest and most powerful Bentley ever. The Supersports is known as the best handling Bentley. It includes a revised tiptronic automatic with "Quickshift" system that reduces shift times by 50%, and enables double downshifts. Other changes include revised Continuous Damping Control (CDC), 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels offset on rear wheels with 275/35 ZR20 Pirelli Ultra High Performance tires, advanced Bosch Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with switchable Dynamic Mode, Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic disc brakes (the largest and most powerful brakes ever fitted to a production car), 110 kilograms weight saving over Continental GT Speed, automatic retractable spoiler (deploys at 80 kmph (50 mph). It was also available in a convertible version.

SECOND GENERATION (2011 – PRESENT)

Continental GT W-12

Bentley Continental GT facelift (2011)

This version featured the same 6.0-litre W-12 engine producing 567 bhp and 700 Nm of torque. Power was delivered through the same 6-speed automatic transmission paddle shifts. It has new design bumpers. Overall looks and interiors were changed.

Continental GT V-8 (2013)

Bentley Continental GT V8 (2013)

The Bentley introduced a new smaller 4.0-litre V8 engine with less weight on at the front and better efficiency without compromising too much on performance. The V8 has only enhanced the Continental GT’s abilities. With 507bhp and, more significantly, 40 Nm less torque than the W12, it’s a real treat to use. It also combines a new 8-speed tiptronic automatic transmission. The engine is capable of reaching speed of up to 192 mph or 309 kmph. There’s a Cylinder deactivation technology which effectively turns the V8 into a V4 to improve fuel economy by 8%. Other changes, including on-demand steering assistance, weight reduction, better engine heat management, overrun alternator charging and eco-tyres, improve overall fuel consumption by 40%. The new GT V8 behaves like a smaller, nimbler, lighter machine than it actually is, reminding the driver of its true mass only as it nears its considerable limits.

Interior

The Bentley continental pulls off the ‘old english’ luxury which most of the cars makers cannot. It seems to be a very nice place to be in. The name Bentley itself defines luxury. It is comfortable, beautiful and exquisitely put together. There are ample of material and colour choices for the interior including stone veneers which were not available in earlier versions. In this modern era, in-car Wi-fi is also an available option. There’s also handmade aluminium fascia inserts, walnut veneer and chrome-bezelled dials all knocked together by the Crewe company’s master craftsmen. The biggest substantive difference inside comes courtesy of two new, slimmed-down, scalloped front seats, which, claims Bentley, liberate an extra 46mm of legroom for rear passengers. The extra space is welcome, but it doesn’t transform the GT into a car fit for four adults. In the back, headroom for anyone over six feet tall is still tight.