FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: Bentley Continental GT V8 S

Bentley has announced a new variant for its Continental GT line-up, courtesy of a more powerful twin-turbo V8.

Set for launch next week at the Frankfurt motor show, the Continental GT V8 S Coupe and Convertible feature a muscled-up version of the 4.0-litre V8 engine used in base GT models.

With complementary revisions to chassis and suspension settings, the car adds a substantial performance quotient to the base Continental, the company says.

Tweaks to the V8 boost power and torque to 389kW (up 16kW) and 680Nm (up 26Nm), the latter still arriving at a low 1700rpm.

That’s enough to thrust the coupe from zero to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds – a match for the larger 6.0-litre W12 used in upscale variants. The convertible S comes in just behind at 4.7 seconds.

Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions match those of the standard engine at 10.6L/100km and 246g/km on the combined cycle for the hard-top – substantially better than the W12’s 14.5L/100km and 338g/km. Bentley claims the car is good for more than 800km on a tankful of premium unleaded.

To make the most of the extra grunt, the company has modified the hardware and software below stairs. While the S sticks with the original formula of aluminium double-wishbones up front and trapezoidal multi-link self-levelling air suspension at the rear, Bentley has dropped it 10mm and stiffened up the springs, bushes and the rear anti-roll bar.

The Continuous Damping Control (CDC) system has been tweaked to minimise the surface incursion into the cabin from the higher spring rates, the steering has been sharpened and sensitised, with a retuned stability control package opening the way for a little extra drift when the opportunity arises.

A new front splitter, side sills and rear diffuser help reduce front-end lift, keep it nice at speed and provide visual differentiation from the stock GT V8.

First UK deliveries begin early next year, but local prices and availability have yet to be announced.