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2018 Bentley Continental GT Spied Lapping the Nurburgring

The last time our spy photographers caught the 2018 Bentley Continental GT doing its thing, it was the rag-top convertible doodling around on British roads. This time around, however, our talented team of carparazzi spied the fixed-head coupe on the Nurburgring.
2018 Bentley Continental GT spied on the Nurburgring 8 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
2018 Bentley Continental GT spied on the Nurburgring2018 Bentley Continental GT spied on the Nurburgring2018 Bentley Continental GT spied on the Nurburgring2018 Bentley Continental GT spied on the Nurburgring2018 Bentley Continental GT spied on the Nurburgring2018 Bentley Continental GT spied on the Nurburgring
First impression is that the front end takes much inspiration from the extraordinarily gorgeous Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6, a concept that’s rumored to go into production as the 2019 Bentley Barnato. Look a little harder and closer and you’ll spot that the front overhang is considerably shorter than that of the present-day Continental GT. Looks great, doesn't it?

At the rear, the highlights are the shorter overhand and thin, oval-shaped taillights masked by thin camouflage imprinted with the current taillight design. The biggest surprise, however, is the wheelbase. Hopefully, my eyes aren’t deceiving me, but it seems to me that the 2018 Bentley Continental GT is just that little bit shorter than its precursor. One thing is sure, though: it will be a much sportier car. Another element that will help with sportiness is the platform.

Internally referred to as MSB and co-developed by Bentley and Porsche, the Volkswagen Group MSB vehicle architecture will underpin the 2017 Porsche Panamera and 2018 Bentley Continental GT. Speaking of the Panamera, it's believed that the second generation of the five-door sedan dethroned the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio as the fastest sedan to lap the Nurburgring.

With that in mind, look forward to a lighter, stiffer, and more agile Conti GT. Oh, and another thing: the platform can house a hybrid powertrain. It’s understood that the steel-bodied Conti GT of today will develop into a car that uses an assortment of high-strength steels and aluminum.

In terms of get-up-and-go, the 2018 Bentley Continental GT in coupe and convertible form will be available with two internal combustion engines: 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 with more than 600 horsepower (608 PS) and 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with at least 542 ponies (550 PS).
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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