FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: Bentley stuns with new Continental GT

Bentley has unveiled its stunning new Continental GT coupe ahead of its world debut at the Frankfurt motor show on September 12.

Billed as the first complete overhaul in the 14-year history of Bentley’s most successful model, the third-generation two-door grand tourer is based on the same MSB platform that underpins Porsche’s new Panamera sedan.

As such, it’s lighter and packed with more technology, including a digital instrument panel, the ‘Revolutionary Bentley Rotating Display’ and a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission delivering “faster, more efficient performance”.

This is aided by an upgraded version of the British brand’s twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine that now delivers 473kW of power and 900Nm of torque – enough for it to hit 100km/h in a claimed 3.7 seconds (in Sport Launch mode) on its way to a 333km/h top speed. Fuel consumption is 12.2L/100km – down from 14.2.

Apart from its W12 engine, the new Continental coupe employs the Bentayga SUV’s 48-volt Dynamic Ride System anti-roll suspension and constantly variable active all-wheel drive system that replaces the previous model’s 60:40-split Torsen diff set-up.

As per the Panamera, there’s new three-chamber air suspension with Continuous Damping Control (CDC) and aluminium multi-links at both ends, plus Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS) and a range of driver-assist functions including Active Lane Assist, Traffic Jam Assist and Park Assist. Front brake rotors are 15mm bigger at 420mm.

The new Conti GT’s seductive exterior design, which is clearly inspired by the 2015 EXP10 Speed 6 concept, is lower, wider and punctuated by massive rear haunches and a concave tail wearing the word ‘Bentley’ as a badge for the first time.

The shorter, wider but same-height aluminium bodyshell and composite chassis materials help shed more than 80kg from the W12’s kerb weight, while the 110mm-longer wheelbase and a front axle positioned 135mm further forward improve weight distribution and increase visual aggression.

The standard wheel size is 21-inch but 22-inch forged wheels will be available, along with no less than 17 exterior paint colours.

Inside the larger four-seat cabin, which brings even more change than the exterior plus a bigger boot, there’s an ambient mood lighting system comprising thin LED strips across the dash, across the doors and down into the rear, imitating the bulging rear wheel-arches.

Borrowed from Porsche’s new Panamera and Cayenne is a 12.3-inch colour touch-screen that hides behind a rotating central timber panel, along with a new take on the Volkswagen Group’s fully customisable digital instrument display.

Other interior highlights include 21-way adjustable, cooled, heated and massaging front seats, and the sound system choices: a 650-Watt 10-speaker system as standard, along with a 1500W, 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen set-up with illuminated speaker grilles and a 2200W, 18-speaker Naim system with Active Bass Transducers built into the front seats.

There are also hand-polished chrome details, highest-quality natural leathers and rare, sustainably sourced timber veneers including the new Koa. Bentley says more than 10 square metres of wood are used in each Continental GT, and it takes nine hours to create and fit the wooden inlays by hand.

“Bentley has been at the forefront of luxury Grand Touring for nearly one hundred years,” said Bentley Motors chairman and CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer.

“The new, third-generation Continental GT is the pinnacle of our design and engineering achievements and marks the next step in Bentley’s journey.

“We are the world leader in luxury mobility and our products and services define new luxury in the automotive world. The new Continental GT encapsulates our desire to innovate as well as celebrate our heritage and take the Bentley ownership experience to the next, unparalleled level.”

Shorter yet more spacious than before, Bentley says its new Continental GT – due on sale in Australia by early next year – is also the most luxurious and customisable, as evidenced by the ability to specify not just one interior timber veneer for both the dash and doors but two, split by a chrome strip.

City Specification will be the standard trim, with Touring Specification aimed at long-distance drivers. The former includes hands-free boot opening, pedestrian warning, traffic-sign recognition and city braking systems as well as a top-view camera.

The Touring pack, meanwhile, offers adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist, active lane assist, a heads-up display, night vision with an infrared camera, and pre-sense braking.

Topping the range is the Mulliner Driving Specification with 22-inch forged alloys, embroidered Bentley emblems, additional veneer options, a jewelled-finish fuel filler, sports pedals, indented leather headliner and a new ‘diamond-in-diamond’ interior trim pattern that comprises exactly 712 stitches for each diamond and uses 2.8km of thread in every car, each of which requires nine leather hides to produce.

In addition, Bentley’s new GT coupe will be offered with a host of Mulliner Bespoke personalisation options, including up to 70 exterior paint hues, 15 carpet options, eight handcrafted wood veneers, 15 leather types and custom stitching and treadplates.