The wraps are off! After teasing us with sounds of its new hybrid V8 and even briefly letting us get behind the wheel of a camouflaged car – which we featured in our June issue – Bentley has finally revealed the new Continental GT and its convertible counterpart, the GTC. It’s an update of the previous car and is based on the same MSB platform. However, Bentley calls it a new fourth-gen model citing the many changes, especially the technical ones under the hood.
Bentley Continental GT exteriors
We got a close look at the new GT in Spain and one look at it and you know it’s a Continental with the overall shape not straying from its predecessors. However, in what is a big departure, the signature twin-headlight setup has given way for singular oval units with an eyelash-style DRL running across; very reminiscent of the Bentley Batur.
The headlight units have an intricate diamond pattern within them. The grille too features a diamond mesh punctured through by a large radar dome and a camera setup necessitated by the new ADAS capabilities of the Continental. Bentley should have done better to blend these elements into the neat and clean overall styling. The bonnet carries on with the centre crease like every GT before and it has seemingly gotten sharper with each new model.
In profile, you will appreciate the long bonnet and the wide and nicely flared rear fenders. It gets 22-inch rims as standard with multiple patterns to choose from; the car you see here has a neat-looking radial pattern.
Bentley has also done away with the active rear spoiler, so you get a very neat and clean surface that looks gorgeous. This is thanks to the more prominently flared boot lid, which is pinched significantly to form an integrated spoiler. The lights retain the elliptical shape, but are a bit larger now and the cool windscreen-integrated high-mount stop light remains.
Bentley Continental GT interiors
Inside, things remain very similar to the older car, and that’s a good thing. Signature elements like the organ stop or push-pull AC vent controllers remain, as does the cool triple-rotating centre panel that allows you to cycle between analogue dials, a touchscreen or a solid surface matching the dashboard when the car is switched off. Quality levels are right up there and everything is finished to a very high order, with the chrome and piano black surfaces showing distortion-free mirror-like reflections.
There are a few new features on the Bentley Continental GT, the big one being the ADAS package that has an ‘environmental awareness’ display on the IP. This basically renders surrounding vehicles on the screen in real time, but it’s more cool than useful. The car now has some in-built apps like Spotify and there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The new Continental GT also has a lot of connectivity tech and capabilities, including pre-cooling or heating the cabin and seats.
The new Continental GT remains a 2+2 seater, and while we didn’t get to spend much time seated inside to judge the comfort of the seats, we can say that they look super with the diamond quilting and the ‘Speed’ variant nomenclature embroidered on the front head restraints. As expected, of course, colours of the trim materials on the inside are all highly customisable and feature some vibrant shades like orange and green.
Bentley Continental GT engine and gearbox
As we’ve already mentioned in our camouflaged drive, the big change with the new GT is the deployment of a plug-in hybrid V8, which replaces the famed W12 engine that has powered every Continental since its launch in 2003. The V8 is the same 4.0 litre engine as before and it makes 600hp and 800Nm. The gearbox-integrated electric motor makes 190hp and 450Nm of torque, so combined power stands at 782hp; 100hp more than the W12. Torque gets bumped up by 100Nm hitting the 1,000Nm mark and is channelled to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Active torque vectoring is managed by the centre differential and the brakes on each individual axle.
Bentley Continental GT performance
Performance stats are supercar quick. Zero to 100kph comes up in 3.2 seconds, 0 to 160kph in 6.9 seconds and top speed is 335kph. There’s a pure EV mode, too, which can power the car up to speeds of 160kph with the throttle at up to 75 percent. All-electric range stands at 80km. There’s no cylinder deactivation as was previously the case with the V8, as the electric motor more than makes up for this, and Bentley expects significantly improved mileage and emissions figures.
In our brief drive with the car we were very impressed with its turn of speed, as also its braking capabilities. 420mm front and 380mm rear discs likely make this the largest cast iron brakes on any production car. Suspensions duties are carried out by air springs all round and the new GT now comes with twin-valve dampers.
Bentley Continental GT price and launch
Expect the new Bentley Continental GT to launch in India towards the end of this year, at an estimated price of around Rs 6 crore. It will take on rivals like the Ferrari 12Cilindri and the Aston Martin Vanquish.
Also See:
Bentley Continental GT Prototype video review