The moment you gaze upon this third generation Continental GT, the first thing that pops in your mind is the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept car. The new Grand Tourer takes much of its inspiration from the concept whilst retaining the classic elegance.
Built on the same platform as the second generation Panamera, the body and materials apparently save more than 80 kg over the previous one. The aluminium skin has been crafted using Super Formed technology – a precision technique working with aluminium heated to 500°. The new car’s profile is longer and lower, partly due to the positioning of the front wheels 135 mm forward, which in turn allows the bonnet to be extended and the nose to be lowered.
The rear of the car is a radical styling departure, with the taillights now shaped into ellipses, reflecting the silhouette of the exhaust tail pipes below them. Front gets Matrix LED technology, but the design of the head lamps has been inspired by the finest cut-crystal glasses, the internal surfaces are transparent with sharply defined edges that catch the light like a diamond.
Rounding off the exterior looks are the standard 21-inch wheels, while you can also opt for 22-inch light weight, forged wheels. There are a total of 17 exterior paint colours to choose from. In addition, a limited extended range of colours will be offered at launch, as well as the option of full bespoke colour-matching.
The diamond quilted interiors get a fully digital instrument cluster, and a 12.3-inch rotating touchscreen display which reveals three elegant analogue dials when closed. There’s an extensive portfolio of 15 colours across hides and carpets to choose from.
The centre console can be specified in a new technical finish that is inspired by the delicate mechanical surfacing inside the finest automatic Swiss watches, known as Côtes de Genève, said Bentley. This surface, claimed to be first in the automotive world, is machined onto 0.6 mm-thick aluminium and is created by machining from side to side to create a linear pattern. Each row is 5 mm wide and machined at an angle to give a truly three-dimensional finish, with each pass of the machine making a minute step of 0.5 mm.
Other features to grace the interiors are bronze inserts between surfaces on the primary controls, 20-way adjustable seats with cooling, heating and massage functions, and a choice of three audio systems.
Power
The engine continues to be the 6.0-litre W12 TSI, producing 635 PS (626 bhp) and 900 Nm of torque, paired to an 8-speed dual clutch automatic transmission – a Porsche PDK. 0-100 km/h acceleration happens in 3.7 seconds and top speed is 333 km/h. The powertrain now uses the very latest engine management technology, with 300 million software calculations per second, said Bentley. There’s a dedicated Sport Launch mode.
A new Active All-Wheel-Drive System replaces the traditional 40:60 power delivery split, varying the front-to-rear torque split depending on the driving situation. The vehicle will use rear-wheel drive as much as possible during normal driving for optimum efficiency and dynamic performance.
Additionally, the third generation Continental GT features Bentley Dynamic Ride, a 48-volt roll control system. The system controls and adjusts the electronic actuators on the anti-roll bar of each axle, aimed to improve handling and ride comfort, as well as making the car feel lighter and more precise. Another feature is the latest-generation Continuous Damping Control (CDC), which constantly adjusts the dampers for comfort.
The brakes, as always on the Continental GT, are bigger on the front axle, with a 15 mm increase in size to 420 mm to match the increased performance.
Recommended for you
Leave a Reply
Note: Comments that are unrelated to the post above get automatically filtered into the trash bin.
