BENTLEY Continental GT W12 Review

As you open the door, you notice the thick double-layer glass and you are instantly given a taste of just how pleasant the Bentley Continental GT is in terms of accommodation. Oh and don’t worry about the way in which you close the door - this coupe comes with a soft-closing mechanism, as well as power folding for the boot.

The seating position comes to confirm the aforementioned conclusion. There’s plenty of room in all areas and you’ll feel that you perfectly fit regardless of your stature. The new Cobra seats may be slimmer than before, but they provide an experience that’s worthy of the “lounge” title.

In addition to that, you can be treated with heating and ventilation. There’s also a massage function, with the hardware consisting of ten individual cells. Each member of this stress relief team shows skill and dedication when it comes to taking care of your body.

This is one of the few cars in the world where the seat adjustment controls are feel as natural as possible. You don’t have to reach out to the door or too far to the side of the seat - they are placed on the side, but at an angle of 45 degrees, which makes them perfectly ergonomic.

The level of attention to detail is stunning and while you may not end up touching every part of the cabin, the respect this shows conquers you on the spot. For example, you constantly interact with the cow hides spread across the cabin or with the plush carpets, but it’s enough to see the veneers in order to acknowledge that you’re in a select world.

However, it would be a pity to resume to simply beholding the wood trim, since the cabin of the Continental GT places a strong focus on tactile exaltation. Bentley emphasizes the fact that the veneers are now UV-treated, so that “they can be enjoyed as new for decades to come.” We have to explain that their refined texture brought out our spoiled side - they’re such a joy to touch that this is all we can focus on, we don’t even care about the future.

As you can imagine, the wood is still no match for the sea of leather that floods the cabin. Regardless of what you choose from the impressive number of materials and combinations available, the feel of the leather comes extremely close to that unique sensation offered by touching human skin.

Once you’re on the move, the first thing you notice is the ride. The suspension has four settings and doesn’t sacrifice the comfort in any of them. The Continental GT’s suspension deserves a medal for the way in which it filters out the road’s imperfections while also being able to keep this mammoth on the road at triple-digit speeds.

Each of the elements described above may bring serious bonus points for this chapter, but they also add weight.

The aforementioned windows work together with the impressive soundproofing, which, among others, uses anti-vibration panels placed throughout the car and floor shields. The combination manages to repel any kind of exterior noise, so the only thing that meets the ear are a few traces of elegant, deep engine voice. Driving this grand tourer, you get the impression that you are inside you own mobile palace and nothing on the road is allowed to disturb you.

The Continental GT is not stranger to the notion of compromise though and this can be felt when one is offered the role of a rear passenger. The backrests of the front seats are now sculpted in a way that offers you more room, but the four-seater definition still doesn’t fit the car. Fortunately, nobody actually uses the rear seats past the “children” level and this is a job that it can handle with grace.

The Bentley Continental GT is one of the best cars you can choose for trips that involve triple-digit mileage. It doesn’t just come with maternal-like comfort, but it also offers you a slight taste of its brute force, so you never loose interest in driving.

Body and Chassis

The Bentley Continental GT features a steel monocoque construction, with the front fenders and the boot lid being built from aluminum. The revamp has brought a 65 kg (143 lbs) diet for the vehicle, with this being achieved from small gains spread throughout the car. For example, the seatbelts have migrated from the seats to the B-pillars and, despite their electrical fastening assistance, the move has brought a slight weight reduction.

As for the aforementioned front wings and trunk lid, these are created using the super forming technology. The aluminum panels are heated to 500 degrees Celsius (900 degrees Fahrenheit) in order to allow them to be shaped using air pressure. A single sheet of metal is used, so there’s no need for any welding or seems.

Powertrain

The 5,998 cc W12 unit now delivers 575 hp at 6,000 rpm and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque at 1,700 rpm - Bentley isn’t kidding about its traditional low-end torque. The new figures can be translated into an increase of 15 hp and 50 Nm (36.9 lb-ft), but while peak power arrives 100 rpm sooner, the peak torque rpm was delayed by same number of revolutions.

The fuel efficiency has also seen a slight increase. While the previous model returned EPA ratings of 10 mpg city, 17 mpg highway and 13 mpg overall, the new one comes with 12 mpg city, 19 mpg highway and 14 mpg combines.

Using the European cycle, the Bentley Continental GT W12 now offers the following fuel economy figures: 25.4 l/100 km urban, 11.4 l/100 km extra urban and 16.5 liters per 100 km combined.

The extra benefits arrive thanks to refinements such as the use of lighter components that reduce the internal friction and allow the unit to rev more freely. The low-inertia twin-turbochargers have also been revised and obviously there’s a new engine management software.

The unit keeps its FlexFuel capability, so, besides petrol, it can run on E85 bioethanol, or on any combination between the two. In order to achieve this, it uses a fuel quality sensor that continuously monitors the ratio of the fuels fed to the engine. The information received is sent to the ECU, which adapts the timing.

The Volkswagen Group seems to be very relaxed about leaving direct fuel injection out of certain packages lately. Just like the Lamborghini Aventador’s all-new V12 unit, the Bentley Continental GT’s revised W12 doesn’t feature this.

Adding direct fuel injection increases the height of an engine, as well as its weight, as the system requires an additional particulate filter. While both downsides would’ve affected the Aventador, Bentley certainly wouldn’t have had any issues related to the mass. Nevertheless, the extra height could be the reason behind skipping the feature for the Continental GT.

That’s because the W12 may be extremely compact for its size, as it’s slightly smaller than an Audi 4.2-liter V8, but it still fills every inch of the engine bay.

Another technical asset that the W12 doesn’t receive is the new eight-speed ZF unit of the V8 powerplant. Instead, the unit sticks to its six-speed ZF automatic transmission. However, this borrows a quickshift system from the pre-revamp Supersports model, the range-topper of the first Continental. The feature allows the transmission to perform double downshifts on the spot and halves shift times to 200ms.

In addition to that, the transmission’s planetary gear set has been strengthened to cope with the output increase of the powerplant.

The Supersport’s influence can also be felt further down the power chain, where it lends its 40:60 (front:rear) continuos all-wheel drive system, which replaces the 50:50 hardware of the standard pre-revamp model.

Road Connection

Up front, this Bentley is suspended on four-link double wishbones, while at the rear it uses a trapezoidal multi-link. The suspension mixes Continuos Damping Control with an electronically-controlled self-leveling air suspension and anti roll bars.

Compared to the previous model, the front track is broader by 41mm, while the rear one is 48mm wider. The suspension now also uses more aluminum, featuring solid aluminium cast-forged front suspension uprights, as well as aluminum gravity die castings at the back. In addition to that, the spring and damper rates have been tweaked.

The standard wheels measure 20 inches in diameter, but our test car was fitted with the optional 21-inch wheels, which were wrapped in P275/35ZR21 Pirelli P-Zero rubber.

As for the speed-sensitive ZF servotronic steering, this now has a shorter ratio compared to that of the replaced model, needing 2.6 turns from lock to lock.

Stopping Power

The standard braking hardware consists of 405 mm ventilated rotors for the front wheels and 335mm ventilated discs for the rear one. These manage to do away with the speed of the monstrous vehicle in an admirable way, but you can also opt for carbon ceramic brakes. The cross drilled carbon silicon carbide rotors come in a size of 420 mm and 356 mm, respectively.

The process of configuring a Bentley Continental GT is an experience that combines pleasure with culture, as it hides many aspects that make reference to the heritage of the British manufacturer.

This can be seen from the very first step, the selection of the exterior hue. To keep things organized, Bentley has devised color categories, seven of them to be more precise. The shades found in each one offer a wide variety of designations that also include historical ones, such as Barnato Green. This commemorates Wolf Barnato, one of the famous Bentley Boys, who also saved the company from financial collapse in its early days.

Another special features comes in the form of the Mulliner specification. Mulliner was a Bentley coach builder in the past and now its name is used for a carbon fiber exterior package and a limited edition wheel model. There’s also a Mulliner catalogue that allows you to further personalize a few interior details, like the headrests and the treadplates.

Speaking of wheels, the standard ones use a 20-inch size and a painted finish, but there are multiple optional 21-inch models. These not only bring various designs, but can also feature a polished finish instead of the aforementioned one.

You’d expect the interior of the Bentley Continental GT to offers things such as a selection of colors for the main and secondary hides, as well as a wide range of veneers. It does and it also comes with an amazing offer in terms of personalization. When configuring the cabin, there are 17 distinct areas that allow you to mix, match or add features to. These range from three choices of embroidered emblems to sport pedals, which can be considered a piece of art.

The list of optional features is spread between the exterior, interior and the tech features - we’ll mention some of the most important from each category.

The exterior styling area brings items such as carbon ceramic brakes and a space-saving spare wheel. As for the interior styling, this includes seat massage and ventilation, a removable stowage case and lambswool rugs, among others. In terms of technology features, you can order an eleven-speaker Naim audio system, Adaptive Cruise Control and a rear-view camera.

In the world of top-class automobile audio systems, there are other competitors that top Naim’s 1,100 watts, but this is as irrelevant as possible. That’s because the British company has managed to give us a finesse which surpasses everything we’ve experience in the past. Nowadays every company brags it can bring the concert hall inside your car, but Naim actually makes this happen.

In addition to this, Bentley also offers various packages for the Continental GT, with these mixing the standard and the Mulliner items to offer a more convenient way of upgrading the vehicle.

The Bentley Continental GT’s resume doesn’t include any mentions about crash tests performed by an official organization. Nevertheless, the coupe comes with certain attributes that inspire confidence as far as this chapter is concerned.

It all kicks off with the active safety - the recent refresh received by the Continental GT saw the adoption of a 40:60 bias for the all-wheel drive system. The new setup brings a more neutral handling compared to the previous 50:50 one, which was more prone to understeer.

The standard cast iron brakes have no shame in dealing with the inertia of the car and the vehicle offers standard features such as drag torque control and aquaplane detection. In addition to that, you can opt for carbon-ceramic stopping power.

The adaptive cruise control, LED daytime running lights and tire pressure monitoring system are also worthy of being mentioned here.

As for the passive safety, we have to tell you that the ultra-generous size and mass of the vehicle doesn’t only pay out in terms of comfort, but also holds impressive crash structures and guarantees extra protection in the event of an impact. In addition to that, it’s hard to find too many passenger cars that outweigh this Bentley, so, in the unfortunate event of a crash, you’ll also benefit from a superior mass advantage.

Apart for the two dual-stage front airbags, all passengers receive individual side airbags, together with the side curtain airbags. The list is completed by knee airbags for the driver and the front passenger.

On top of all that, we’ll mention that the nature of the car also provides a feeling of security. Bentley’s sporting credentials mean that, unlike certain luxury vehicles, the Continental GT doesn’t provide an entirely detached driving experience. In other words, the driver gets enough feel to always be alert and ready to react to any kind of situation, at least as far as this chapter is concerned.

The Bentley Continental GT W12 we drove is the new face of the car that took Bentley, as well as the grand tourer segment itself to new heights. This refreshed incarnation of the vehicle was launched at about the same time with an event that can be seen as a crowning of its predecessor - in 2011 the Continental GT reached a dazzling sales milestone, with the vehicle having managed to convince 50,000 customers in eight years.

The Crewe-based manufacturer had to keep the VW-borrowed platform of the grand tourer and came up with a special strategy for the rest of the vehicle. The W12 model would carry on with limited technical changes, keeping its traditional, more sophisticated line, while the plethora of technologies that accompanies such a launch would be placed inside a new, more dynamic V8 version.

The best part of the Bentley Continental GT W12 lies in its character. This four-wheeled creation respects its owner and brings out the respect in others. It manages to impress relying on traditional values, such as its design, its level of craftsmanship and the technical complexity of its powerplant.

Just as important, this Bentley perfectly serves the main purpose it was built for - to shorten distances. The car provides absolute comfort and it also partially resonates with the driver inside of you, which means that you’re not just cozy, but also entertained.

Another key asset of the Continental GT is its loyalty. You can always enjoy its finesse thanks to its overwhelming force, four-wheel drive and ground clearance. The list of dependable assets also includes a spare wheel and a 90-liter (24-gallon) fuel tank.

The worst part of this Bentley is its beefy steel construction, which can push the vehicle towards the 2.5-ton (5,500 lbs) mark. First of all, the extra weight dilutes the dynamic driving experience that is a part of Bentley’s heritage. As for the fuel efficiency drawbacks brought by this, one may not be bothered by such aspects, but a driving range premium, for example, is never something that can be refused in a grand tourer.

While the aforementioned problem couldn’t have been solved without an investment the size of China, the following negative side of the Continental GT W12 that would’ve been easier to deal with. We’re referring to the six-speed automatic, which can show fine traces of lag on the open road and takes some points off the car’s rating inside the city. Both issues are no longer present with the eight-speed gearbox used on both the V8 model and the new W12 Continental GT Speed.

This brings us to the comparison between the standard W12 and the V8. Aside from the image boost brought by the powerplant and the slight superiority in terms of personalization, you can’t find too many arguments in favor of the twelve-cylinder vehicle - at least not when it comes to the standard model. The V8 on the other hand, offers more feel and can be seen as a fresher and more balanced proposal. Nevertheless, Bentley now has a strong presence on markets that couldn’t be more different from each other and the new structure of the range means that the Continental GT can appeal to a broader audience.

It’s time to move on to the ugly bit of the Bentley Continental GT W12, the financial one. We have to start by stating the obvious - There’s no such thing as acquiring a Bentley at its starting price. First of all you have the automaker’s own fine selection of options and we mustn’t overlook the Mulliner catalogue either. Nevertheless, one has to begin from a certain point and if you live in America, this is translated to $189,000 plus delivery and individual state taxes. In Europe, the Continental GT W12 starts at €154,600 plus VAT, so you’ll be starting off from at least €184,000 (19 percent VAT).

However, if you consider the collection of assets the Bentley Continental GT has to offer, as well as the brilliant ways in which these are combined, the price may start to seem reasonable.

There are many ways in which one can see the surrounding world and occupying any of the Continental GT’s front seats is a brilliant one.