2012 Bentley Continental GT
The Bentley Continental GT is a car that needs no introduction. The flagships of the range, the hard-hitting Continental Super sports and its drop-top sibling, are unchanged since their introduction in 2009 and include an output of 621 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Bentley used to offer a mid-level “Speed” variant of both the Continental GT and Continental GTC in previous model years but isn’t for the 2012 model year. Also next year comes a new V-8 option, once again featuring in both the Continental GT and Continental GTC. The navigation system sports Google maps and a vibrant 8-inch LCD touch-screen.
The pillar less Bentley Continental GT coupe reads "sports car" down its curvaceous flanks, though it's truly massive to behold; the GTC convertible seems more classic, its proportions relaxed by the removal of the roof. The former Speed versions have taken the model year off, but the Continental GTC Super sports Convertible is carried over from its 2011 form, with 621 hp or 631 hp as an ISR (Ice Speed Record) special edition. These versions are capable of 0-60 mph times of 3.7 seconds or less, and a claimed 204-mph top speed. For a vehicle of its mass and length, the Continental GT has sublime, capable road manners. The standard computer-controlled shocks and three-mode ride control--dubbed Continuous Damping Control (CDC)--combine with all-wheel drive now tuned to deliver more power to the rear wheels than to the fronts. As large as it is, space isn't the Bentley Continental GT forte. Neither safety agency has crash-tested the Continental--can you just imagine?--but all versions get standard front, side, and curtain airbags, as well as anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and all-wheel drive. All have standard electronic climate control, Bluetooth and a DVD navigation system that also controls climate and audio functions.
Incorporating all-wheel-drive technology, and a W12 engine (from Bentley’s corporate cousins at VW Group), it highlights the art of making bespoke automobiles.
As bespoke as a mass-produced (well, not “mass produced” in the Chevy Malibu sort of way) car can get, the Continental GT offers a seemingly endless list of personalization touches. It has the magical ability to cause cars to move immediately out of the way once the big Bentley mesh grille fills up a lesser vehicle’s rear-view mirror. Maserati Grand Turismo, for one, followed by the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class lineup, which includes the 550, and AMG-tuned CL63 and CL65 models.
New crisper shoulders and knees adorn the body and a redesigned rear, uh, pulls up the rear. Seen alone, the Bentley Continental GT appears almost identical to the preceding model. If you’re familiar with all things modern Bentley, you will instantly notice the lines are not so curvy along the body creases, and body cuts (where parts join together) have changed. Little in the way of road and engine noise penetrates the vault-like interior, thanks to the use of an acoustic windscreen and side glazing. The silence allows the occupants to take in the custom saffron and burnt oak-dyed hides that even show up in hand-stitched glory on the two-toned steering wheel, which naturally includes redundant controls and a winged Bentley crest.
Rear seat passengers needn’t fret, though, because their accommodations are heat enabled as well. A four-faced gauge panel offers speedometer, tachometer, water temperature and fuel gauges. In between it all is an eight-inch display that houses navigation and audio readouts for the stellar Naim Audio for Bentley system.
The "Bentley Continental GT" for 2012 is a probably one of the world’s fastest two-and-a-half-ton conveyances on the road today. A ZF-built six-speed automatic with slap shift or paddle shift functionality routes the W12’s power to a 40:60 rear-biased all-wheel-drive system. ZF also had a hand in the speed-sensitive serotonin steering that provided a lithe touch to the wheel, and despite the car’s overall size, actually transmitted excellent road feel.
The Continental GT rides on 20-inch Pirelli P-Zero high performance tires, whose footprints are assured by the computer-controlled pneumatic suspension system. The system works with a quad-link double wishbone system in front and a trapezoidal multi-link setup in back. The power from the hand-built, made in Crewe, W12 is phenomenal.
