The Bentley Continental GT V8 is a far better driver's car than it has any right to be. The new S model accentuates what makes it great.
BentleyThe Bentley Continental GT is one of the best grand touring cars on the market, and though it can be had with a powerful W-12 engine, it’s even better with the V-8. Bentley announced on Monday the new V-8-powered Continental GT and GTC S, and it looks to be the pick of the range, at least for the sort of keen drivers that read this publication.
Sure, the 650-hp Continental GT Speed pulls like a freight train and has a neat electronic rear limited-slip differential, but the W-12 doesn’t have all that much character and makes the car somewhat nose heavy. With 542 hp, the Conti GT V8 has more than adequate power and you can actually feel the weight savings. Plus, the V-8 sounds better. In the Continental GT S, those attributes are enhanced with a standard sports exhaust and Bentley Dynamic Ride, a 48-volt active anti-roll system that makes the Conti GT a far sweeter handling car than it has any right to be. The GT S doesn’t get the Speed’s electronic rear diff, though it’s hard to imagine most customers missing it.
Naturally, there are exterior and interior tweaks to differentiate the S from the rest of the Continental GT lineup. Notably, all the chrome trim is blacked out and 22-inch wheels are standard and available in black or a neat matte bronze. (Twenty-one-inch wheels are still available for customers seeking extra ride comfort.) The standard interior spec has a mix of leather and Dinamica suede-like trim, but this being a Bentley, it can be ordered however the customer wishes.
For those keeping count, there are now six variants of Continental GT, 12 if you want to separate coupes and convertibles. It’s fairly easy to understand, though, as each engine is offered with a base, more luxurious, and more sporty trim. For the V-8, there’s the base Continental GT V8, S, and Azure, and for the W-12, it’s the base car, Speed, and Mulliner. Like fellow VW Group brand Porsche—which developed the platform that underpins the Continental GT—Bentley wants to offer a car for every conceivable customer. It’s a strategy that’s worked well in Stuttgart, so it should work in Crewe, too.
Keyword: The Continental GT V8 S Is the Bentley You Want