CLEVERER CREWE'S MISSILE (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The Crewe-based Bentley brand has evolved its Continental GT. Jonathan Crouch reports.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 28

Bentley brings us a new kind of Continental GT, this one ready for the electrified era courtesy of the brand's Performance Hybrid powertrains. There's bolder exterior styling too.

Backgroundword count: 403

Early Bentley models were sports cars. More recently, the brand has been primarily known for its luxury GTs. Can the company really produce a car able to combine both these attributes? This model, the fourth generation Continental GT, claims to be able to do just that. And together with the Bentayga SUV, it's crucial to the future of this famous automotive brand. No pressure then. It's no exaggeration to suggest that without the original version of this car, launched back in 2003, then updated in 2011, Bentley wouldn't still exist as an automotive maker; not in the form we know it today anyway. While the company's exclusive limousine-style saloons sell in fractional numbers, this model series keeps the eco-friendly production lines in Crewe purring along at the rate of over 5,000 sales a year. An impressive return for the Volkswagen-owned manufacturer given that the Conti GT, in its first two generations of life, was a good car but never a great one, hamstrung by fundamentals borrowed from an old fashioned Volkswagen Phaeton saloon dating back to the turn of the century. This Continental was a consummate Grand Tourer, but it wasn't really a choice for driving enthusiasts. The MK3 model of 2018 in contrast, shared its lighter, stiffer MSB chassis with the very latest second generation Porsche Panamera. That car also donated a quicker-reacting dual clutch gearbox, plus there was a more sophisticated 4WD set-up, much better weight distribution, sophisticated adaptive air suspension and an active anti-roll system, all of it helping to make the car more agile through the bends. All of which is important to know in considering this fourth generation model, launched as both a Coupe and a GTC Convertible in mid-2024, because it's essentially just a heavy evolution of that previous model. Bentley of course doesn't see it that way, claiming that 68% of the parts used are new. Most of those lie under the bonnet, where the previous thirsty conventional W12 and V8 units get replaced by the PHEV powertrain that Bentley promised but never delivered with the previous generation model. And it's fast, whether you choose the High Performance Hybrid variant (680PS) or the top Speed version (782PS). So does being able to plug this big GT in justify its place in this modern electrified world? And in this class, it is it more Aston Martin DB11 than Porsche 911 Turbo? Or an ideal combination of both?

Driving Experienceword count: 351

For this fourth generation model, the Crewe company has abandoned its classic W12 engine, but devised a way for its charismatic 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 to live on - as a Plug-in Hybrid; arguably the world's fastest Plug-in Hybrid. Two versions of this PHEV powertrain are available; for the GT, the High Performance Hybrid (with 680PS and 930Nm of torque); the GT Speed gets the 'Ultra Performance Hybrid' unit (with 782PS and 1,000Nm of torque). The Speed version is Bentley's most powerful road car ever; for reference, that's 123PS and 100Nm more than the previous W12-engined GT Speed model. 592PS of this current model's power total comes from its VW Group-sourced V8, with a further 190PS contributed by an e-motor built into the automatic gearbox. That motor is energised by a 25.9kWh battery beneath the boot floor that (with both powertrains) Bentley claims will take the car up to 53 miles and at speeds of up to 87mph. Obviously, do one and you won't be able to do the other. Despite the 2.5-tonne kerb weight (around 200kg heavier than the old W12 GT), performance from both powertrains is explosive, 62mph flashing by in just 3.5s in the 680PS GT model and 3.2s with the Speed. If you can find a race track or the right stretch of autobahn, the Speed version goes on to a top speed of 208mph. But this car will need more than sheer speed to match competitors, principally arch-rival Aston Martin's DB12. Well to that end, not much has changed underneath, this fourth generation design carrying forward its predecessor's VW Group-sourced MSB platform and basic body structure. Bentley though, says that weight distribution has been shifted fractionally backwards for a better 50:50 balance. And there are now twin valve dampers which, it's claimed, have enabled the engineers to optimise dynamic ability and comfort. In the most frantic 'Dynamic' drive mode, the drivetrain is tuned to let the rear axle slip slightly, giving the driver greater control of power deployment mid-corner. But if you're planning to drive like that regularly, you really should have bought a 911 Turbo.

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