• Home
• /
• Auto

Continental GT: Downplay on Excess

Bentley’s most successful model — the Continental GT — gets a roaring V8 and an environment-friendly conscience to power up the range

The ‘Continental’ was a designation used by Bentley within the organisation to any model that had been driven to mainland Europe by Walter Owen Bentley himself and tested at high velocities. The first vehicle that bore the nameplate ‘Continental’ was the R-type coupé from 1952. The name continued to be used for its many variants through the 50s and 60s, and eventually, Rolls-Royce Corniche-based coupés from the late 80s and 90s gained that privilege.

The Bentley Continental of today 
happens to be their best-selling model to date, having sold more than 50,000 units. The new generation rakish coupe was first introduced in 2003, then came a second generation in 2011. 2013 has a new V8 variant, ready to knock the “shocks” of the competition. But is a cheaper car with a down-sized powertrain worthy of the ‘B’ on the bonnet?

DESIGN & AESTHETICS

The 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8, like the GTC we drove earlier this year, looks to be a retread of the original car from 2003, albeit with a wider stance and sharper creases. They seem to have run it by an Atkins diet to lose some of that baby fat and now, it is meaner-
looking than ever before… in a stately way, of course. But the GT hasn’t aged 
at all, a bit like George Clooney since the 90s. It is quite simply the modern day classic. The new GT body is 40 mm wider than its predecessor and the track widths are also up by 41 mm up front and 48 mm at the rear.

At the face of it, you are greeted by jewel-like bi-Xenon headlamps encrusted with an artistically placed array of LED daytime running lights. Along the rear, the tail lamps are squarer and the oval rear lamps inlays are slimmer and sleeker, by a bit.

There isn’t much to distinguish the V8 from its bigger brother. The distinction upfront begins with the black gloss matrix grille with chrome frame and centre bar; which was previously all-chrome. Then you have the red enameled Bentley ‘B’ badge on the hood and a black matrix 3-segment lower front bumper divided by distinctive body-coloured strakes.

At the rumps are figure eight exhaust tail pipes finished in chrome, a dark lower valance and again a red enamel ‘B’ badge on the boot lid. The standard car rides on 5-spoke 20-inch wheels but if you want more bling, more traction and a fractionally bumpier ride, Bentley 
offers 6-spoke 21-inch wheels to go with the show, available in either diamond black, which is exclusive to the V8 and diamond silver finishes. The GT V8 also has a convertible sibling — the GTC — with a 4 layers rag-top that exposes you to the elements in a matter of 25 seconds with just the press of a button.

As imposing as it may seem, you can’t help yourself romanticise about the Bentley’s proportions — one that involves a fair bit of brawn, beauty and grandiose. People look at you in another light, speak to you with courtesy, and even hotels and restaurants and hotels serve you better after you’ve pulled up in $200,000 Continental GT and the best part is hardly anyone can tell the difference between the V8 and the W12 model.

Once you’ve opened those heavy doors and gotten inside, you will find the cabin interiors just as awe-inspiring as the exteriors. The cabins have been 
embellished with intricate details like how an army General’s suit would be with those many badges. A trio of exotic materials has been tastefully integrated into the various aspects of the cabin, namely leather, wood and metal. You can have the leather upholstery, ribbed or quilted, and choices for the colours are in the dozens and for going further bespoke, you can have it in a two-tone fashion. There are plenty of veneers to choose from created from trees like birch, mahogany, eucalyptus and others. Then you have genuine metal trims machined to perfection at various points, handmade aluminium fascia inserts and chrome-bezelled control dials. Even your feet — or rather, your shoes — are treated to the softness of deep-piled carpets.

Fortunately, with the model change, they have replaced the VW Touareg derived 4-spoke steering for a rather sporty, yet usable 3-spoke variety. Atop the dash you have the Breitling analog timepiece handcrafted into place and next to those real metal air-vents; you have those organ pulls to regulate air flow. Even simple functional actions like that have been turned into acts of art.

The “Cobra” style individual seating has slimmed down, relieving more room in the rear cabin by about 2 inches, but let’s hope that the enthusiasm for getting into a Bentley will help passengers aboard the tight rear cabin. Be informed that there is some gymnastics involved and that those above the average stature will start to cringe if this becomes a habit. Fortunately, the front seats fold forward and motor out of your way to make space, but it still isn’t the easiest coupe to get in and out of.

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE

If ever you get the opportunity to look under the hood, don’t shy away. The car is embellished with a lot of gems and certainly what lies inside is a gem of an engine. The GT V8 has an Audi-sourced, Bentley-built twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 prepped with direct injection and variable injection technology — a motor which it shares with the Audi S8, S7 and RS6, each with varied varying outputs.

It churns out a maximum output of 500 horses at 6,000 rpm while twisting-force has been calibrated to 660 Nm, and is available between an almost-idling 1,700 revs and 5,000 rpm. Meshed to that motor is a ZF-sourced 8-speed aut-omatic transmission. The time invested in swapping ratios has been halved over the outgoing 6-speed and Bentley claims the tranny can perform a double downshift, if necessary… As they say in the auto-industry, shift in time saves nine!It may have a displacement deficiency compared to the W12 but it is no slouch. Give the throttle a good thump and it will chase after horizons like there’s no tomorrow; 100 km/h comes in 4.8 seconds and 160 is effortless if you have another 7 seconds to spare. If you have a stretch like those on the German autobahn, you can test its 303 km/h top speed. The way the GT gathers speed and the roisterous sound it makes when you open up its vocal — it is all pure Bentley theatre 
accompanied by blurry scenery.

The new torsen differential system allows a 40:60 torque split, front to rear making it more of a rear wheel drive car now as compared to the older GT which had a communist’s nature of splitting torque equally to the front and rear wheels. The 21-inch wheels and the 275-section rubber grant large contact patches at all four corners which works in tandem all-wheel drive make the tyres stick to the tarmac with tenacity. It helps that the V8 weighs lesser over its front axle but it still likes big sweeping turns over technical circuits with quick turns. There is appreciable body roll as well.

True, the GT is a missile for the road, but it also renders top-notch cabin comfort. Braking hard gets this two-tonne machine to dive into its front suspension as it comes to a halt. It lacks the precision of, say, the Ferrari FF but it gets the job done, getting from 100 km/h to a pause in around 110 ft.

The crew at Crewe claims that the V8 motor is up to 40 per cent more fuel-efficient than its W12, sibling but it is still no hyper-miler. The claimed 800km prize at the bottom of the tank is achie-veable, but it would have to be at a pace at which your grandparents would be comfortable, which is nothing more than feathering the throttle.

FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY

The Continental GT conjures most luxuries, but be prepared to pay the added price. The multi-zone air-conditioner keeps the temperature on check and you also get the added comfort of ventilated and heated seats.

After the glorious rumble from the V8 has done its job of inspiring new life in you on a daily basis, you can turn to pleasure your ears and soothe your mood via the 8-speaker standard system or the optional 10-speaker 1100-Watt premium audio system custom-built by Naim. There is a 30GB hard drive, 15 GB of which is designated for ripping music. If that is too much trouble, you also have iPod connectivity, a 6-CD changer with DVD compatibility and an SD card slot.

There is an 8-inch touch sensitive infotainment screen and sub-par navi-gation systems that will help you find your route. It doesn’t respond to input too quickly. The GT at 4.8 metre length is close to being a full-size car, but expect modest cargo space. The 357-litre capa-city can fit your luggage from the airport thankfully. The regular safety features seen on the premium cars are also seen here, such as brake assist, tyre pressure monitor, child seat anchors, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution and a rear view camera, among many others.

VERDICT

The 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8 triumphs as a classy carriage for those accustomed to the high-roller lifestyle. The timeless appeal of the exteriors, knowledge that it is an extraordinary machine of speed and easy on the environment will seal the deal. Also, there are fewer cars that can endorse brand ‘you’ without being a sell-out on counts of over peacocking or plain-Jane conventional. Fellows, ‘Vanity’ just went on sale.

FUN FACT

The red enamel badge is a tradition at Bentley since the 1920s to distinguish the lower displacement models from the main line-up