2011 Bentley Continental GT
If you think this 2011 Bentley Continental GT is just a face-lifted version of the predecessor, you are forgiven. It’s the same thought we had when we watched the car driving towards us in a hidden courtyard at Bentley's Crewe headquarters in England. Indeed, the Continental GT is Bentley's most successful model ever, and when the company asked current owners what they would like the company to change about it, the overwhelming response was, "Nothing." And so whether Bentley liked it or not, the brand was stuck with the unenviable task of reworking what’s arguably become an icon—at least among the wealthy, some of the world's most critical customers.
All-New Metal
Under the direction of chief designer Dirk van Braeckel, Bentley changed every single body panel and glass surface of the new Continental GT, but the proportions are very similar to those of the first generation. Upon closer inspection, the differences become somewhat obvious. Up front, the inboard lights are now much larger than the outer lighting units, similar to the Mulsanne’s. A circle of LEDs further emphasizes the family resemblance, and a crease above the headlights is continued into the side windows. The grille is bigger and extends farther down, and the lower front air intakes have grown vastly, giving a more accurate idea of this autobahn-stormer's potential.
The side view is now more streamlined, with the windows stretching farther toward the rear. Viewed from the back, the Continental GT appears sleeker as well, with a horizontal line stretching above a new, stylized diffuser. The trunklid swells with the hint of a spoiler, and the taillights are wider with cleaner graphics. While the taillights now stretch slightly onto the body sides, they no longer butt up against a panel gap, and this helps to create the impression of a hand-built, bespoke body. Altogether, the car looks more muscular and slim, as if the original design has been carefully sandblasted to reveal its essence.
Fabulously Trimmed Interior—As If It Wouldn’t Be
Of course, the interior has been heavily reworked as well, and there it’s somewhat easier to spot the differences quickly. The symmetrical dashboard now flows a bit more from the center stack, which makes for a sportier look than in the predecessor. One improvement: It's harder to spot parts shared with the Volkswagen Phaeton than on the first GT. The HVAC controls and terrible nav system get an overhaul on the center stack. One of our favorite details has survived in the traditional air-vent knobs, which are similar to those that regulate the airflow to an organ pipe. The ashtray is now a movable aluminum cup, which we find a bit odd—isn't a beautifully executed, integrated butt can a hallmark of a British luxury car? What if it gets left outside the car and Edward Penfold Chesterfieldington VI is forced to extinguish his Cohiba Behike on the glove-box door? Heavens!
In a nod to sportiness, the shift paddles for the ZF six-speed automatic transmission remain fixed on the steering column (compelling the driver to shift for himself only when the car is pointed straight), unlike on the Mulsanne where they have moved to the steering wheel. The gearbox has now gained the ability to downshift by two gears, and downshifts are of the throttle-blipped variety, too. The design of the (supremely comfortable) seats is surprisingly sporty, with a muscular look—Bentley calls them "Cobra" seats—that says new-money Lamborghini more than old-money Rolls-Royce. A Breitling-branded clock sits between the center vents.
Same Platform, New Base Engine
Under the skin resides the predecessor's platform, complete with the slightly upgraded twin-turbocharged W-12 engine. (Bentley claims the W-12 car is some 140 pounds lighter than before.) The twelve-cylinder engine still displaces 6.0 liters—unlike its naturally aspirated 6.3-liter sibling in the new Audi A8—but this time makes 567 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, improvements of 15 hp and 37 lb-ft. This car’s version also won’t receive direct injection, but in what’s becoming Bentley fashion, it can run on E85 biofuel. (Way to be green, Bentley!) The Continental GT will continue to be ungoverned up to its top speed, which is 198 mph, and the company claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds. In Europe, you can even set the cruise control at the top speed, but the option to do so will be disabled for the U.S. market in case you were going to try. The standard all-wheel-drive system now features a 40/60 front-to-rear torque split versus the old car's 50/50 setup, and the change should help mitigate some of the progressive understeer.
Big news is a new entry-level V-8, which will be launched next year and perhaps mated to an eight-speed automatic. Bentley is mum on the exact specifications, but we do know that it will be a turbocharged, direct-injected 4.0-liter, and we suspect it will be closely related to the upcoming Audi S6/S7/S8 engine. It should produce around 400 hp and push the car comfortably beyond the voluntary 155-mph limit that most of the lesser premium brands have already started to ignore. Fuel economy is expected to be significantly better than the W-12's. Bentley won’t comment on the expected production split between the two powertrains.
The brand will again extend the Continental lineup with GTC convertible and Flying Spur sedan versions, as well as higher-powered variations in the spirit of the Speed and Supersports models. The current Supersports remains in the portfolio for the time being, though, allowing a direct comparison between the old and the new model in Bentley showrooms. All Bentleys continue to be assembled in the Crewe factory; the batch of completed Flying Spurs spit out by VW's Dresden factory (alongside the Phaeton) a few years ago was an exception, not a precedent.
It won't take long to get used to the new Continental GT's evolutionary styling, but the improvements should be significant enough to convince current buyers to upgrade. And the V-8 model should make the brand a bit more accessible, although it won't be cheap by any means. Our first look at the car was just a static preview, but we expect to slide behind the wheel of the updated Continental soon.
If you think this 2011 Bentley Continental GT is just a face-lifted version of the predecessor, you are forgiven. It’s the same thought we had when we watched the car driving towards us in a hidden courtyard at Bentley's Crewe headquarters in England. Indeed, the Continental GT is Bentley's most successful model ever, and when the company asked current owners what they would like the company to change about it, the overwhelming response was, "Nothing." And so whether Bentley liked it or not, the brand was stuck with the unenviable task of reworking what’s arguably become an icon—at least among the wealthy, some of the world's most critical customers.
All-New Metal
Under the direction of chief designer Dirk van Braeckel, Bentley changed every single body panel and glass surface of the new Continental GT, but the proportions are very similar to those of the first generation. Upon closer inspection, the differences become somewhat obvious. Up front, the inboard lights are now much larger than the outer lighting units, similar to the Mulsanne’s. A circle of LEDs further emphasizes the family resemblance, and a crease above the headlights is continued into the side windows. The grille is bigger and extends farther down, and the lower front air intakes have grown vastly, giving a more accurate idea of this autobahn-stormer's potential.
The side view is now more streamlined, with the windows stretching farther toward the rear. Viewed from the back, the Continental GT appears sleeker as well, with a horizontal line stretching above a new, stylized diffuser. The trunklid swells with the hint of a spoiler, and the taillights are wider with cleaner graphics. While the taillights now stretch slightly onto the body sides, they no longer butt up against a panel gap, and this helps to create the impression of a hand-built, bespoke body. Altogether, the car looks more muscular and slim, as if the original design has been carefully sandblasted to reveal its essence.
Fabulously Trimmed Interior—As If It Wouldn’t Be
Of course, the interior has been heavily reworked as well, and there it’s somewhat easier to spot the differences quickly. The symmetrical dashboard now flows a bit more from the center stack, which makes for a sportier look than in the predecessor. One improvement: It's harder to spot parts shared with the Volkswagen Phaeton than on the first GT. The HVAC controls and terrible nav system get an overhaul on the center stack. One of our favorite details has survived in the traditional air-vent knobs, which are similar to those that regulate the airflow to an organ pipe. The ashtray is now a movable aluminum cup, which we find a bit odd—isn't a beautifully executed, integrated butt can a hallmark of a British luxury car? What if it gets left outside the car and Edward Penfold Chesterfieldington VI is forced to extinguish his Cohiba Behike on the glove-box door? Heavens!
In a nod to sportiness, the shift paddles for the ZF six-speed automatic transmission remain fixed on the steering column (compelling the driver to shift for himself only when the car is pointed straight), unlike on the Mulsanne where they have moved to the steering wheel. The gearbox has now gained the ability to downshift by two gears, and downshifts are of the throttle-blipped variety, too. The design of the (supremely comfortable) seats is surprisingly sporty, with a muscular look—Bentley calls them "Cobra" seats—that says new-money Lamborghini more than old-money Rolls-Royce. A Breitling-branded clock sits between the center vents.
Same Platform, New Base Engine
Under the skin resides the predecessor's platform, complete with the slightly upgraded twin-turbocharged W-12 engine. (Bentley claims the W-12 car is some 140 pounds lighter than before.) The twelve-cylinder engine still displaces 6.0 liters—unlike its naturally aspirated 6.3-liter sibling in the new Audi A8—but this time makes 567 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, improvements of 15 hp and 37 lb-ft. This car’s version also won’t receive direct injection, but in what’s becoming Bentley fashion, it can run on E85 biofuel. (Way to be green, Bentley!) The Continental GT will continue to be ungoverned up to its top speed, which is 198 mph, and the company claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds. In Europe, you can even set the cruise control at the top speed, but the option to do so will be disabled for the U.S. market in case you were going to try. The standard all-wheel-drive system now features a 40/60 front-to-rear torque split versus the old car's 50/50 setup, and the change should help mitigate some of the progressive understeer.
Big news is a new entry-level V-8, which will be launched next year and perhaps mated to an eight-speed automatic. Bentley is mum on the exact specifications, but we do know that it will be a turbocharged, direct-injected 4.0-liter, and we suspect it will be closely related to the upcoming Audi S6/S7/S8 engine. It should produce around 400 hp and push the car comfortably beyond the voluntary 155-mph limit that most of the lesser premium brands have already started to ignore. Fuel economy is expected to be significantly better than the W-12's. Bentley won’t comment on the expected production split between the two powertrains.
The brand will again extend the Continental lineup with GTC convertible and Flying Spur sedan versions, as well as higher-powered variations in the spirit of the Speed and Supersports models. The current Supersports remains in the portfolio for the time being, though, allowing a direct comparison between the old and the new model in Bentley showrooms. All Bentleys continue to be assembled in the Crewe factory; the batch of completed Flying Spurs spit out by VW's Dresden factory (alongside the Phaeton) a few years ago was an exception, not a precedent.
It won't take long to get used to the new Continental GT's evolutionary styling, but the improvements should be significant enough to convince current buyers to upgrade. And the V-8 model should make the brand a bit more accessible, although it won't be cheap by any means. Our first look at the car was just a static preview, but we expect to slide behind the wheel of the updated Continental soon.
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