We get exclusive look at updated Continental GT 
Auto Express Car Reviews
Text: Jack Rix / Photos: Pete Gibson
07th September 2010
It’s the unveil of the new Bentley Continental GT, and everyone is invited! In a world first, Bentley has revealed its all-new super coupe live on the internet – allowing viewers to look at the car from a variety of different angles, inside and out, all via a live video feed. And Auto Express was granted exclusive back-stage access to the car and Bentley’s head of exterior design, Raul Pires, just a few days before the cameras starting rolling.
“We had three key goals for this car - to improve the proportions, to make the signature lines more contemporary and to give the car a more bespoke, handmade feel,” Pires explained. Get up close, and the Continental’s sharp new look is immediately noticeable - every panel is new except the wing mirrors, which are borrowed from the Mulsanne.
Thanks to a new cutting-edge process known as aluminium super forming, the muscular bodywork has been given a sharper edge. All the major feature lines, especially the trademark rear wheel arches are crisper and more defined, smartening up the coupe’s appearance. Whereas before the GT featured a steel bonnet and plastic bumper arrangement, now the entire front wing is made from one single sheet of metal.
“This proces is more expensive and more time consuming, but with a low-volume car like this it’s possible to try new things.” said Pires.
The imposing front grille now sits more upright and 40mm lower, allowing the sculpted bonnet to fit snugly between the bulging front wheel arches. The four headlight layout is familiar, but now each of the lamps features jewel-like LEDs surrounding the main bulb. A wider track, front and rear, as well as the double-elipse LED taillights that wrap around the corners of car add to the GT’s already impressive width, while the height and length remain roughly the same. And for the first time 21-inch wheels are offered as an option, in either ‘Elegant’ or split-rim ‘Sports’ design.
As with all Bentleys the devil is in the detail, and Pires was keen to point out some of the car’s finer points: “This car has the least amount of chrome detailing of any model in the range, but it all has a function. The rubbing strips on the side of the car are now protruding, to help prevent stone chips on the rear wheel arch.” Other clever touches include headlight washers incorporated into the light assembly and no shut lines running through the rear lights - both to create a less-cluttered surface.
On the inside, the hand-crafted interior has been reworked for even greater luxury and functionality. The sweeping dashboard mimics the wings on the Bentley badge, while every surface is trimmed in metal, soft-touch leather or wood veneers. Under foot, deep-pile carpets boost comfort levels even further. New ‘Cobra’ design seats are each 25kg lighter and more compact than the ones they replace, freeing up an extra 46mm of legroom for rear passengers.
A new cutting-edge infotainment suite, something prospective customers demanded according to Pires, includes an eight-inch touchscreen to control the car’s audio system, telephone, suspension settings and latest sat-nav system with seven-digit postcode input and 30GB built-in hard drive. An eight-speaker sound system is offered as standard, while an 11-speaked Naim setup can be specified.
“The great thing about Bentley is that we combine sportiness and luxury like no other brand,” Pires reminded us. From our time with the car it’s clear that the newcomer ticks the box marked ‘luxury’, but what about the sportiness?
For the first time Continental GT customers will be offered a choice of two high-performance engines – an improved version of the current W12 unit, available from October and costing around £130,000, and an all-new 4.0-litre V8 with 40 per cent lower CO2 emissions, on sale in late 2011.
Packing an extra 15bhp and 50Nm of torque, the revised 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 now produces a phenomenal total of 567bhp and 700Nm of torque. This additional power, and a weight saving of 65kg compared to the outgoing car, help the newcomer to sprint from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds - two tenths quicker – and on to a top speed of 198mph.
Transmitting all that power to the wheels is a uprated version on the six-speed ZF Quickshift transmission. Shift times are cut by half to just 200 milliseconds, while it can now jump two ratios at a time on downshifts and automatically blip the throttle for precise rev-matching and smoother changes. The car’s four-wheel drive system has also been tweaked from a 50:50 power split, to a 40:60 front-rear bias for a more dynamic driving experience.
According to Pires this car is “an evolution of the revolution,” which is no bad thing. In the last seven years Bentley has sold more examples of the first-generation car than it did in total over the previous 90 years. So by subtly refining and improving an already winning formula, it appears Bentley has a guaranteed success on its hands.
“We had three key goals for this car - to improve the proportions, to make the signature lines more contemporary and to give the car a more bespoke, handmade feel,” Pires explained. Get up close, and the Continental’s sharp new look is immediately noticeable - every panel is new except the wing mirrors, which are borrowed from the Mulsanne.
Thanks to a new cutting-edge process known as aluminium super forming, the muscular bodywork has been given a sharper edge. All the major feature lines, especially the trademark rear wheel arches are crisper and more defined, smartening up the coupe’s appearance. Whereas before the GT featured a steel bonnet and plastic bumper arrangement, now the entire front wing is made from one single sheet of metal.
“This proces is more expensive and more time consuming, but with a low-volume car like this it’s possible to try new things.” said Pires.
The imposing front grille now sits more upright and 40mm lower, allowing the sculpted bonnet to fit snugly between the bulging front wheel arches. The four headlight layout is familiar, but now each of the lamps features jewel-like LEDs surrounding the main bulb. A wider track, front and rear, as well as the double-elipse LED taillights that wrap around the corners of car add to the GT’s already impressive width, while the height and length remain roughly the same. And for the first time 21-inch wheels are offered as an option, in either ‘Elegant’ or split-rim ‘Sports’ design.
As with all Bentleys the devil is in the detail, and Pires was keen to point out some of the car’s finer points: “This car has the least amount of chrome detailing of any model in the range, but it all has a function. The rubbing strips on the side of the car are now protruding, to help prevent stone chips on the rear wheel arch.” Other clever touches include headlight washers incorporated into the light assembly and no shut lines running through the rear lights - both to create a less-cluttered surface.
On the inside, the hand-crafted interior has been reworked for even greater luxury and functionality. The sweeping dashboard mimics the wings on the Bentley badge, while every surface is trimmed in metal, soft-touch leather or wood veneers. Under foot, deep-pile carpets boost comfort levels even further. New ‘Cobra’ design seats are each 25kg lighter and more compact than the ones they replace, freeing up an extra 46mm of legroom for rear passengers.
A new cutting-edge infotainment suite, something prospective customers demanded according to Pires, includes an eight-inch touchscreen to control the car’s audio system, telephone, suspension settings and latest sat-nav system with seven-digit postcode input and 30GB built-in hard drive. An eight-speaker sound system is offered as standard, while an 11-speaked Naim setup can be specified.
“The great thing about Bentley is that we combine sportiness and luxury like no other brand,” Pires reminded us. From our time with the car it’s clear that the newcomer ticks the box marked ‘luxury’, but what about the sportiness?
For the first time Continental GT customers will be offered a choice of two high-performance engines – an improved version of the current W12 unit, available from October and costing around £130,000, and an all-new 4.0-litre V8 with 40 per cent lower CO2 emissions, on sale in late 2011.
Packing an extra 15bhp and 50Nm of torque, the revised 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 now produces a phenomenal total of 567bhp and 700Nm of torque. This additional power, and a weight saving of 65kg compared to the outgoing car, help the newcomer to sprint from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds - two tenths quicker – and on to a top speed of 198mph.
Transmitting all that power to the wheels is a uprated version on the six-speed ZF Quickshift transmission. Shift times are cut by half to just 200 milliseconds, while it can now jump two ratios at a time on downshifts and automatically blip the throttle for precise rev-matching and smoother changes. The car’s four-wheel drive system has also been tweaked from a 50:50 power split, to a 40:60 front-rear bias for a more dynamic driving experience.
According to Pires this car is “an evolution of the revolution,” which is no bad thing. In the last seven years Bentley has sold more examples of the first-generation car than it did in total over the previous 90 years. So by subtly refining and improving an already winning formula, it appears Bentley has a guaranteed success on its hands.
Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/256819/our_day_with_new_bentley_gt.html#ixzz0ytqIVfsF
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