Bentley Continental GTC
Conti became the most unlikely volunteer car in lockdown
Although Sean couldn’t go far, he still enjoyed his time with the soft-top Continental
UNTIL the recent past, we’ve all been in the same situation when it comes to our automotive adventures, or lack of them.
But despite this, with a brand-new Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible sat on the drive, I still managed to venture out to explore the car’s ability.
R55 BML was delivered the day before lockdown, so I did at least have one day to cover a few hundred miles and get a good impression for what the characterful V8-powered Continental Convertible can do. But that did make the following months before its return to Bentley not so long ago all the more testing – knowing the brilliance that was sat outside, yet not being able to sample it all that frequently.
However, in the early days of lockdown, with my state-sanctioned essential travel to and from the supermarket plus a few particularly nice spells of weather over the Easter and VE Day Bank Holiday weekends, I indulged in the GT V8’s beautiful ride comfort and superb refinement, and got a few rays on the back of my neck with the roof down.
There was a serious side to the Conti’s use, though. Bentley kindly confirmed that
I could use the car to help with some volunteering, so with a few close friends and family who were more vulnerable than many, the Continental was pressed into service as a volunteer vehicle. I picked up vital supplies, medicines and other bits and pieces ready to drop on the doorstep of those that needed the help.
Sometimes, luxury convertibles can elicit a less-than-friendly reaction, but not in this case. Maybe it was the sense of community pulling together, but almost everyone who saw or came into contact with the Bentley – well, no closer than two metres, of course – gave the car a positive reaction.
It brought a smile to many who it helped at a tough time; others remarked from afar on how sharp it looked and, spying a glimpse of the cabin with the roof down, how highquality the interior seemed. I can’t argue.
Sitting in the supermarket car park while my other half shopped gave me plenty of time to explore the Bentley’s great tech, all the while being soothed by a tension-relieving massage from the sumptuously trimmed and wonderfully comfortable driver’s seat.
Without the opportunity to deviate all that far from our 10-mile round trip to the shops, we weren’t really able to explore the Bentley’s performance, so the air-sprung comfort was more important. When we did manage to find a dozen eggs, it was almost as if you could let them sit in the cup-holders, the ride is that good. It’s great for a cabrio; there’s little flex in the chassis.
What I really like about the GT V8 are the ‘Bentley’ elements that separate it from other cars within the VW Group that use similar components. The 542bhp 4.0-litre turbo V8 is, for me, a better engine than the W12. It has more character, the exhausts rumbling discretely some way behind you.
The level of craftsmanship justifies the price, too. You can really get under the skin of a car when you live with it, and notice things that you might not otherwise with a short-term test drive.
Take the rotating display fitted to our car. Most of the time the three-sided panel sits on the 12.3-inch infotainment screen. You can alternate between this, analogue dials or a veneer panel, but it’s the way the chrome strip lines up beautifully with the metal inlay on the dash with the tightest of tolerances that’s great; it’s where your money goes.
On fleet since:
Price new:
Engine:
CO2/tax: 260g/km/£475 Options: Mulliner Driving Pack (£11,580), Centenary Specification (£1,385), Touring Specification (£6,290), Front Seat Comfort Specification (£3,145), City Specification (£4,020), Mood Lighting (£1,510), Bang & Olufsen stereo (£5,075), Rotating Display (£4,770)
Insurance*:
Mileage/mpg:
Any problems?
Mar-May 2020 £167,000
4.0-litre twinturbo V8, 542bhp
Group: 50 Quote: £987
N/A/18.5mpg
None so far
*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.