Bentley Bentley Continental GT in the driving report
07.02.2011
N och is the completely revised, based on developments in the The new Bentley Continental GT accessing the Supersports model is only available with twelve cylinders, two turbochargers and a displacement of six liters. A double-charged four-liter V8 will follow at the end of 2011.
There are things that don't need to be explained. A Bentley, for example. Although the VW group in Crewe in central England has been swinging the scepter for years, the dignified luxury sedans, coupes and convertibles look as British as ever. Only the quality impression has seen a significant upgrade over time. This also and especially applies to the second generation of the Pretà Porter model Bentley Continental GT.
Entry-level model with 575 hp
Not that the all-wheel drive, which still weighs 2,320 kilograms, is an off-the-peg car despite a strict diet prescribed by Development Board Member Ulrich Eichhorn: The entry-level model, which has been strengthened from 560 to 575 hp, offers plenty of options. The factory has 14 exterior colors alone for the inevitably well-heeled clientele. Some of them, such as the glittering “Orange Flame”, appear bold as usual.
Of course, drivers of the new Bentley Continantal GT are sure to attract attention even when they dress their companion in silver or gray. The more clearly shaped light edges of the slightly wider and higher outer skin, sensitively modified by Head of Design Dirk van Braeckel, give the four-seater coupé more structure. This was made possible by a new aluminum processing technology called Super Forming, in which large-area aluminum panels are heated to around 500 degrees Celsius and then shaped using compressed air. New processing methods have also found their way into the interior.
The design of the cockpit cladding, which takes up the double wing of the company logo, and the surfaces covered with soft-touch leather enhance the interior. Fans of loving little things will also get their money's worth in the Bentley Continental GT. A removable aluminum ashtray and a similar glasses case with leather lining on the inside and a root wood-aluminum combination on the outside come as standard. Seen in this way, the comparison with a noble yacht is not far-fetched. Then the weighty steel doors and the voluminous twelve-cylinder under the strikingly shaped bonnet also fit into the picture.
BentleyContinental GT with the character of a ship
Similar to noble ships, the Bentley Continental GT drives less the lightness of being than the power of its propulsion. This is also the reason why the newcomer is still starting with the well-known ZF six-speed automatic instead of an eight-speed automatic machine of the newer generation. Those, in combination with the permanent all-wheel drive on board, cannot withstand the 40 to 60 forces distributed between the front and rear axles.
And those are truly bearish. There is no lack of power on board the newcomer, which has increased in width by 41 millimeters in the front lane and 48 millimeters in the rear. Only the drive mode, which is sometimes a bit sluggish when downshifting, is not quite convincing when driving overland. The sports program or manual gear changes with the help of the paddle shifters are the better choice.
The exemplary linear and very precise steering of the GT as well as the adaptive chassis that can be adjusted in four stages deserve great praise. In the first stage of the sports program in particular, the Bentley achieves a good compromise between necessary hardness and the desired comfort. Only the tremors that can sometimes be seen on the steering wheel are irritating. It is possible that the generously dimensioned wheels have a counterproductive effect here. It's also less smooth on high heels than on flat, soft soles.
