Bentley’s glamorous powerhouse: “beguiling and opulent”
Bentley’s Continental GT convertible is a “classic low-speed, sunny-day cruiser”, said Steve Cropley in Autocar. The manufacturer’s “mantra” is that this car should be practical enough to drive every day (for the kind of clientele that can afford to drive it every day), and that is exactly what it delivers. Exceptionally well built – when the fabric hood is up, it’s so quiet you “might as well be in a hard top” – it’s also comfortable, beautiful inside and out, and very, very powerful. This is a “deeply impressive” car that’s like its coupé version, but with a touch of extra glamour.
The all-new model is a “huge leap” ahead of its predecessor in terms of performance, said Sean Carson in Auto Express. In its third generation, the Continental GT has a 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 engine with 626bhp. That means this 2.4 tonne “tank” gets from 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds; it “shrugs off” its weight “like you might not think possible”. But given how most Bentley owners drive, the “deep reserve” of power is fairly useless, and of course its fuel consumption, at 20.2mpg, is hard to justify nowadays.
Where the GT Convertible really shines is inside, said Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph. Its interior is “beguiling and opulent”, and the work that has gone into the leather and wood veneer is “unsurpassed”. Much has also been made of the novel “Toblerone-shaped” spinning centre console display. There’s just about enough room for four, and despite having to make room for the roof in the convertible, there’s still 235-litre capacity in the boot. Outside, the car has a “lovely” profile too. It’s just a shame that its massive weight gives it fuel consumption figures that are simply no longer “acceptable”.