With Bentley getting closer and closer to offering us the actual second generation (read: not a comprehensive revamp) of its Continental GT, the time has come for the prototypes to hit the Nurburgring.
In fact, earlier this week we brought you a Ring video showing a pair of Continental GT test cars (a Coupe and a Convertible) that had the bodies of the current models, but whose Industry Pool presence probably means Crewe was testing the new W12 engine that debuted on the Bentayga.
Introduced by the Volkswagen Group back in May 2015, this isn't just a slightly retouched incarnation of the twin-turbo 6.0-liter heart of the current Contis, with the British engineers having brought hefty improvements to the powerplant.
Plastic cladding aside, the prototype seen here appears to display a wider stance compared to the current model, with British designers working to integrate a number of styling cues from the bewildering EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept.
Underneath the skin, we find the VW Group's MSB platform, but the relationship between the next Continental GT and the 2017 Porsche Panamera, which also rides on this platform, goes deeper than that - remember when we recently showed you a 2019 Bentley Flying Spur test vehicle wearing a Panamera body?
As for the canvas roof you see here, this might seem like your average soft top, but we're actually talking about one of the most refine such roofs in the world. We need to look no further than the experience we had during our Bentley Continental GTC review (W12 and V8) to remind ourselves of the otherworldly thermal and aural insulation provided by the open-top Grand Tourer.
The new Conti GT should make its debut late next year, as a 2018 model, but with Bentley's ever-increasing line-up, we'll have plenty of occasions to enjoy new unveilings after the initial one.
Introduced by the Volkswagen Group back in May 2015, this isn't just a slightly retouched incarnation of the twin-turbo 6.0-liter heart of the current Contis, with the British engineers having brought hefty improvements to the powerplant.
Plastic cladding aside, the prototype seen here appears to display a wider stance compared to the current model, with British designers working to integrate a number of styling cues from the bewildering EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept.
Underneath the skin, we find the VW Group's MSB platform, but the relationship between the next Continental GT and the 2017 Porsche Panamera, which also rides on this platform, goes deeper than that - remember when we recently showed you a 2019 Bentley Flying Spur test vehicle wearing a Panamera body?
As for the canvas roof you see here, this might seem like your average soft top, but we're actually talking about one of the most refine such roofs in the world. We need to look no further than the experience we had during our Bentley Continental GTC review (W12 and V8) to remind ourselves of the otherworldly thermal and aural insulation provided by the open-top Grand Tourer.
The new Conti GT should make its debut late next year, as a 2018 model, but with Bentley's ever-increasing line-up, we'll have plenty of occasions to enjoy new unveilings after the initial one.