Bentley’s proposition has always been intriguing — not many brands manage to combine luxury and comfort with speed and performance so well. Unlike Rolls-Royce, which owned Bentley for a major part of its existence, the latter’s cars are much more driver oriented.
Some would say that luxury limousines have to be chauffeur-driven, and that is usually the case, However, Bentley is known to make luxury cars for those who enjoy driving.
This time round, we will find out how the new Bentley Continental GT drives, in Kuala Lumpur, where there are tastier roads for a proper experience.
Old meets new
Built on the same platform as the previous Continental GT, the fourth-generation car has a familiar silhouette.
But it doesn’t take much to identify the new car. A new, wider and slimmer grille adorns the front end, flanked by a pair of menacing head lights inspired by the steely gaze of a tiger — for the first time since 1959, Bentley is doing away with its iconic quad head light setup.
The side profile continues to feature distinctly Bentley elements such as the upright front end with a tall bonnet line that meets the uniquely-Bentley wide rear arches with its prominent shoulder line. The cabin area blends exquisitely with the body; the roof tapers towards the rear with one swoopy curve that ends with a lightly pinched tail end.
A pair of taillights inspired by molten lava finishes the exterior of this luxury grand tourer.
Where elegance meets tech
While the design of the exterior is what typically draws you towards a car, the cabin is often the one that seals the deal, and it is especially the case with something as prestigious as a Bentley.
When the subject is something that costs more than a decently-sized apartment, you know that quality alone wouldn’t suffice, and that is why Bentley offers a myriad of configurations for you to create something that’s distinctly you.
Between the combination of leathers to the wide range of veneers, stitching, emblems and equipment options, you’ll probably spend a substantial amount of time deciding on the perfect combination.
This unit has been configurated with Burnt Oak and Newmarket Tan leathers, which is a nice contrast of brown shades that lend the car an exquisite air; the choice of engine turned aluminium veneer works exceptionally well to result in a timeless and elegant cabin that reminds of vintage Bentleys from the 1920s.
Despite being a modern car with smartphone connectivity and a complete suite of driver assistance features, physical buttons and knobs – with amazing tactile feel – are used for all sorts of controls, which certainly feel better than tapping the touchscreen.
In fact, the Continental GT can also be optioned with a rotating display that allows you to hide the 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display for an even simpler and elegant cabin if you wanted.
Who says there’s no replacement for displacement?
The Bentley Continental GT was originally introduced with a massive 6.0-litre W12 engine, and up until the previous generation, the W12 was available in the top-of-the-line Speed variant.
However, the new car is now only offered in V8 Plug-in Hybrid guise with different states of tune. Despite the smaller engines, the Continental GT continues to belt out impressive performance.
While the new GT Speed is the most powerful Continental GT ever, this base model is no slouch either: The 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 puts out over 500bhp while the electric motor manages 188bhp and 450Nm of torque, resulting in a total system output of 671bhp and 930Nm of torque — which is more than what the previous W12 Continental GT Speed managed.
Despite weighing some 2.5 tonnes, the Continental GT is able to complete the century sprint in 3.7 seconds and continues on to a top speed of 270km/h. But perhaps the most impressive thing is the seamless blend of electric and internal combustion power that has resulted in a smooth and powerful drive.
The powerful electric drivetrain offers an all-electric range of up to 80km and is able to bring the car swiftly up to a top speed of 140km/h in pure electric mode.
True to the brand’s heritage in creating luxury cars that drive well, the Continental GT exhibits agility and stability that is simply unexpected of a car of its size and weight.
After driving the car through the tight and twisty roads of Janda Baik and the high-speed, sweeping curves of Karak highway, it was clear that the new Continental GT is a well-sorted Grand Tourer that manages to hold its ground even on twisty roads.
The placement of the batteries on the rear-end also results in a favourable weight distribution for driving dynamics, though it did result in a rather limited cargo capacity.
Put the car into comfort mode and you won’t even feel the expansion strips on the expressways — the adaptive dual valve dampers and active anti-roll bars are clearly working their magic on our drive.
The base Continental GT is more than sufficient for most drivers
Full disclosure: We were originally supposed to be driving the Continental GT Speed, but logistical issues meant we were put behind the wheel of the base Continental GT instead.
While it is 100bhp down from the Speed, I didn’t really find myself wanting more power — the full force from the V8 was impressive even when accelerating from considerable speed. Even though this wasn’t the range-topping performance model, I felt that the Continental GT has managed to convey what the brand stands for — a luxurious driver’s car.
What we like
- Exquisite Bentley styling
- Smooth and seamless hybrid powertrain
- 671bhp and 930Nm!
- Responsive and sonorous V8
- Amazing ride quality and handling
- Lovely tactile buttons and knobs
What we dislike
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This article was first published in sgCarMart.
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