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Introduction to the Bentley Continental GT
The Bentley Continental GT represents the epitome of luxury grand touring. Designed, engineered, and handcrafted in Britain, the third-generation Bentley Continental GT combines performance with handcrafted luxury and cutting-edge technology to create what is arguably the finest Grand Tourer ever produced. Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, stated, “Bentley has been at the forefront of luxury Grand Touring for nearly one hundred years. The new, third-generation Continental GT is the pinnacle of our design and engineering achievements and marks the next step in Bentley’s journey.”
Dürheimer further emphasized, “Bentley has been at the forefront of luxury Grand Touring for nearly one hundred years. The new, third-generation Continental GT is the pinnacle of our design and engineering achievements and marks the next step in Bentley’s journey. We are the world leader in luxury mobility and our products and services define new luxury in the automotive world. The new Continental GT encapsulates our desire to innovate as well as celebrate our heritage and take the Bentley ownership experience to the next, unparalleled level.”
Engine and Performance
At the heart of the new Continental GT sits an all-new, enhanced version of Bentley’s renowned 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W12 TSI engine. For the first time, this engine is mated to a dual-clutch eight-speed transmission, which allows for faster and more efficient gear changes. The new, technically advanced, adaptive chassis uses a 48-volt Dynamic Ride System to ensure responsive handling and refinement in all road conditions. The new Bentley’s intelligent ride system controls ride comfort and lateral roll, cushioning passengers from excessive movement while making the car feel effortlessly precise.
The muscular exterior design, created using revolutionary technology, results in a lightweight yet stiff body. The engine is positioned further back to improve weight distribution, resulting in a driver-focused, dynamic performance. The new generation Continental GT can go from 0-60 mph in just 3.1 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds) and reach a top speed of 208 mph (335 km/h).
Interior Design and Features
Offering four seats and improved luggage capacity for genuine real-world usability, the new Continental GT’s luxurious cabin is packed with exquisite details such as a new ‘diamond in diamond’ leather design. Significant work has gone into harmonizing the extensive portfolio of 15 colors across hides and carpets. The new Continental GT also showcases major evolutions in Bentley’s unique application of technology. An advanced, fully digital, driver-focused instrument panel and Bentley Rotating Display for the driver are among the suite of innovations. The latter features an impressive 12.3″ touchscreen housed in a three-sided unit, which rotates to reveal the touchscreen as well as three elegant analog dials.
The interior design of the Continental GT is tailored specifically to the modern luxury customer, with unrivaled attention to detail that creates an effortless ownership experience. The cabin seamlessly integrates cutting-edge onboard technology with the finest handcrafted natural materials. The result is an exquisite, harmonized, connected, and luxurious space.
Exterior Design
The exterior design of the new Continental GT is based on a bold new vision that is unmistakably Bentley. The all-new body and materials save more than 80 kg over the previous Continental W12 body. While the Continental GT retains the classic elegance that made its forebear so popular, the form of the new car is more sculptural and sharply defined and takes much of its inspiration from the critically acclaimed EXP 10 Speed 6 concept car. To allow for such a bold reimagining of the Continental GT, the aluminum skin has been crafted using Super Formed technology—a precision technique working with aluminum heated to 500°C which has previously been used on Bentley fenders. This method allows designers to invoke more complex, sharply defined body lines and a deeper, sculpted haunch muscle.
The Continental GT is the first production car ever to have an entire body side made from the Super Formed process. The Continental GT’s profile is longer and lower due in part to the positioning of the front wheels 135 mm further forward, which in turn allows the bonnet to be extended and the nose to be lowered. However, the key signature lines of the original Continental still dominate, with the ‘power line’ traveling from the headlights to the muscular rear haunch. The rear of the car is a radical styling departure, with the taillights now shaped into ellipses, reflecting the silhouette of the exhaust tailpipes below them.
Lighting and Wheels
The lighting on the Continental GT uses the latest LED Matrix technology, but it is the design of the headlamps that truly sets them apart. Inspired by the finest cut-crystal glasses, the internal surfaces are transparent with sharply defined edges that catch the light like a diamond. The result is similar to that of an illuminated gem—an effect that is magnified when the optional welcome sequence gradually illuminates the headlights as you approach the car. The taillights also feature the cut-crystal effect, highlighting the three-dimensional depth of the optics.
The new Continental GT has 21″ wheels as standard, with two styles available, reflecting the model’s elegant and sporting characters. A 22″ lightweight, forged wheel is also offered, alongside a hand-finished option, which allows for a twisted polished finish. In another example of Bentley’s exacting attention to detail, and the unique way in which Bentley design often serves a dual engineering purpose, the elliptical exhausts have a complex perforated sleeve which adds visual detail but also reduces the exhaust temperature. The new Continental GT customer has a class-leading portfolio of 17 exterior paint colors to choose from—carefully selected to complement the character and lines of the car. In addition, a limited extended range of colors will be offered at launch, as well as the option of full bespoke color-matching for Bentley customers.
Interior Materials and Craftsmanship
The interior of the new Continental GT showcases Bentley’s unrivaled expertise in the authentic use of materials, from the highest-quality natural leathers to rare, sustainably sourced veneers—including Koa, Bentley’s newest veneer—and hand-polished chrome details. For the first time, unique dual-veneer options are offered. Over 10 square meters of wood are used in each Continental GT, and it takes nine hours to create and fit the wooden inlays by hand.
Dashboard and Controls
The exquisitely styled dashboard of the new Continental GT is sculpted by long, flowing wings that mirror the shape of the Bentley badge. A floating leather top flows seamlessly to the doors. The center console is finished to match the lower fascia but can be specified in a new technical finish that is inspired by the delicate mechanical surfacing inside the finest automatic Swiss watches, known as Cotes de Geneve. This surface—a first in the automotive world—is machined onto 0.6 mm-thick aluminum and is created by machining from side to side to create a linear pattern. Each row is 5 mm wide and machined at an angle to give a truly three-dimensional finish, with each pass of the machine making a minute step of 0.5 mm.
New types of luxurious haptic finishes adorn the interior of the Continental GT for greater sensory, as well as visual, enjoyment. In some areas, pillow knurling replaces the traditional mechanical knurling for a softer, more refined feel on switches and controls, while diamond knurling adds a luxurious touch using a detailed three-dimensional faceted surface. The new knurling design is available on the iconic Bullseye vents, bezels, and other primary control rotaries, and not only gives a finely faceted visual impact but provides a precise technical feel when operating the controls. Another hidden delight is the addition of bronze inserts between surfaces on the primary controls, which adds a level of fine detailing never seen before.
Seating and Audio Systems
The 20-way adjustable seats in the new Continental GT set new industry standards in comfort and refinement. Smooth center panels allow maximum efficiency for the cooling, heating, and massage functions, while the bolsters retain the signature Bentley quilting. A new, unique quilt is also available: called a ‘diamond in diamond’ quilt, the effect is of a floating quilted surface in a sea of leather, which is extraordinarily soft to touch. The new interior pattern features both stitching and embroidery. The inner diamonds are embroidered, using a specially designed machine that balances high speed