Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Continental shift
Paul Acres drives the new Continental GT
It’s fair to say that, outwardly, the styling of the all-new Continental is a cautious evolution. The long bonnet, stubby rear end and short overhangs remain so its Bentley heritage is instantly recognisable. The new Continental is bigger, fractionally, in every direction but the most significant number is the additional 100mm between the axles. Beneath the bonnet is the Crewe firm’s familiar 6.0-litre W12 engine. Power output has risen by 44bhp to 626 while torque has increased significantly to 664lbft. It rides on the same threechamber air suspension as the Panamera which, engineers claims, gives it a ride and handling balance that be a match for either the S-class or the 911, depending on how you like your pancakes. There’s a degree of stately home charm inside the GT with its combination of rich wood veneers, soft leather, gleaming chrome and deep-pile carpets but don’t be fooled, this is a car brimming with all the very latest technology, some of it literally hidden beneath those same veneers. When you start the engine the wood veneer in the centre of the dash revolves to reveal a pixeldense 12.3in MMI display. Front seat passengers will find themselves ensconced in bullhide leather seats that are electrically adjustable in 20 different ways. Oh, and they’re also heated and ventilated and include a massage function. Space is a little tight in the rear. However, there’s room enough for smaller children and/or child seats. Fortunately the boot is just about big enough to swallow a week’s worth of luggage for a small family. Accelerating hard from a standstill has the capacity to throw your senses into disarray. The W12 engine under that long bonnet really does make light work of shifting the Continental’s considerable mass.
Slip the drive mode into Comfort and it will waft you along in impeccable, uninterrupted nearsilent serenity for mile after mile after mile. Its abilities are undiminished on B roads, demonstrating a level of composure and body control that admirably disguises the car’s mass, even in the suspension’s softest setting. If you want to better explore the limits of the car’s abilities then you’ll need to select either the Bentley driving mode, which has been optimised by the firm’s engineers, or opt for the Custom setting that allows you to configure the steering and suspension settings to your own taste.
It’s then that you’ll become aware of the significant strides Bentley have made in terms of handling and body control. It’s noticeable that in anything but Comfort mode – which essentially means firmer suspension settings – there’s a degree of bluntness to the secondary ride over more pronounced imperfections.
The Continental’s status as a magnificently luxurious, sporting limousine has never been in doubt but, with the new model, Crewe have crafted an automobile that is also a proper sports car. Performance has always been monumental but now, thanks to much better body control and cornering poise it’s possible to access that performance more of the time and on more roads. It isn’t without its flaws – it occasionally struggles to conceal its mass and I can’t helped but be a little disappointed with the muted soundtrack from the 12-cylinder engine – but they are unlikely to detract significantly from what is a wonderfully crafted driving experience.