Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
It's almost impossible to imagine, but the current Bentley Continental GT, convertible or not, has been on the market for 13 years. A series of facelifts have kept the car appealing for those who appreciate the wonderful British craftsmanship mixed with German technology, but it is getting hard to hide its age.
It's not that anybody's complaining about the car's design - it still looks as imposing and unapologetic as it did back in 2003. However, its underpinnings are ancient, and since the automotive industry is moving at such a rapid pace lately, this gap is starting to show even more evidently for those who care to look.
Bentleys will continue to have their special target audience no matter what, so it's not so much a case of retaining customers, as remaining competitive with the rest of the manufacturers. Plus, Bentley made it very clear it plans on growing its sales, and the Bentayga SUV is just an example in that sense.
The new Continental GT was first spotted earlier this year, and everybody agreed it looked more similar to the EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept than we would have dared to hope. The stunning, award-winning design study the British brand showed in Geneva last year was a show-stopper. It had none of the usual bulkiness of a Bentley, and yet all of its character. It made everybody wonder where the hell did Bentley keep these designers hidden until that point.
But who really cares now that they're loose, right? Just look at the silhouette of this new Continental GT Convertible: it doesn't resemble the angry hippo like the old model. It is a lot more athletic, those rear hips don't look like they're covered in fat anymore and the whole car just seems to be more dynamic than before.
And this sudden change isn't just aesthetic since the new Conti GT is going to have a lighter platform which is developed under Porsche supervision (it will also be used on the new Panamera). Expect considerable weight savings and better handling characteristics.
There won't be any surprises in the engine department, with the 6.0-liter W12 unit on the Bentayga likely to make an appearance on the Continental GT Convertible as well. That means at least 600 hp from the twin-turbo direct injection engine that debuted on the luxury SUV. The new Continental should debut sometime during 2017 as a 2018 model year, but the exact release date is still a mystery. We'll probably see more of Bentley's new Conti until then, which is excellent news.
Bentleys will continue to have their special target audience no matter what, so it's not so much a case of retaining customers, as remaining competitive with the rest of the manufacturers. Plus, Bentley made it very clear it plans on growing its sales, and the Bentayga SUV is just an example in that sense.
The new Continental GT was first spotted earlier this year, and everybody agreed it looked more similar to the EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept than we would have dared to hope. The stunning, award-winning design study the British brand showed in Geneva last year was a show-stopper. It had none of the usual bulkiness of a Bentley, and yet all of its character. It made everybody wonder where the hell did Bentley keep these designers hidden until that point.
But who really cares now that they're loose, right? Just look at the silhouette of this new Continental GT Convertible: it doesn't resemble the angry hippo like the old model. It is a lot more athletic, those rear hips don't look like they're covered in fat anymore and the whole car just seems to be more dynamic than before.
And this sudden change isn't just aesthetic since the new Conti GT is going to have a lighter platform which is developed under Porsche supervision (it will also be used on the new Panamera). Expect considerable weight savings and better handling characteristics.
There won't be any surprises in the engine department, with the 6.0-liter W12 unit on the Bentayga likely to make an appearance on the Continental GT Convertible as well. That means at least 600 hp from the twin-turbo direct injection engine that debuted on the luxury SUV. The new Continental should debut sometime during 2017 as a 2018 model year, but the exact release date is still a mystery. We'll probably see more of Bentley's new Conti until then, which is excellent news.
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