NOW

I can be a real Bentley Boy on a grand tour with the new 207 mph Continental GT.

Grand touring is exactly what this elegant, British-built sports coupe is made for — whether whizzing down to the Med or the Alps.

There’s room for a couple of friends or a young family in the back and plenty of luggage space in the surprisingly cavernous boot. Around 70,000 Continental GTs have been sold since the first modern iteration in 2003 by the then-new owner Volkswagen. This is a 21st-century spiritual successor to the achingly gorgeous R-Type Continental of 1952.

This third generation (left) is a significant departure: lower, sleeker, sportier, more streamlined and 80 kg lighter. With prices from £159,100, it is designed, engineered and handcrafted at Bentley’s Crewe factory and UK orders are already sold out for this year, including a limited run of first editions flying a Union Flag badge.

Yet, despite the improvements, it still only averages 23 mpg, with CO2 emissions a hefty 278g/km.