2020 Bentley Continental GT V8 Arrives in America, Starts at $203,825

You've got the metallic gree, the Winter Light, which is silver but not quite, and the bold Redshift. Each features trim and options carefully selected by Bentley, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.

So should you consider the V8 over the W12? Definitely not if money is your main concern. Prices start at $203,825 for the coupe and $223,675 for the convertible, while the W12 was only a little more expensive at $214,600. If our math is right, that's about $3,000 per extra cylinder.

This is a big GT car, so performance is affected. While the W12 does 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds, its V8 counterpart needs 3.9 seconds, while top speed goes down from 207 to 198 mph. But that's not exactly a slow car.

In terms of power, the 4-liter bi-turbo V8 is quite similar to the one in the Porsche Cayenne and Panamera, producing 542-hp and 568 lb-ft. That's 84 hp and, crucially, 96 lb-ft of torque down. But as long as you're not driving it hard, the differences are going to be quite small.

The main advantage here would be fuel efficiency. We weren't able to find EPA ratings, but the European models are about 20% more efficient around town. Obviously, gas money is not a problem for a Bentley owner, but mixing with the plebs at the filling station is. Bentley says the exhaust note for the V8 is sporty and a bit louder than the 12-cylinder. Only by looking at the tips and the discreet badging will you be able to tell the two apart.

Your main alternatives are going to be the Mercedes S-Class Coupe/Convertible, though that's pretty old, as well as the BMW M850i, which is cheaper but less imposing.