New Bentley Continental GT Wants To Be The King Of Grand Tourers


Bentley pulled the wraps off the all-new Continental GT finally, revealing all the details on its new Grand Tourer that aims to conquer the luxury segment.


The British company drew inspiration from its EXP 10 Speed 6 concept in designing the new Continental GT and it shows; the shape is now much more sculptural and dynamic, making the Continental GT look properly special.


Bentley revised the proportions of the whole car, with the new generation having a longer and lower profile than its predecessor, due in part of the positioning of the front axle 135mm further forward which allowed a longer hood and a lower nose.


The most radical departure however is to be found at the back, where Bentley gave the new Conti GT a pair of elliptical taillights, reflecting the shape of the exhaust tail pipes below them and giving the whole car a surprisingly elegant rear end.


The wheelbase is now longer by 110mm and the whole car is wider by 25mm, helping the new, more dynamic design approach but the main reason for this change is of course the new MSB platform that’s also been used in the Porsche Panamera and enables the use of the latest 48-volt electrical system.


Bentley however claims that the parts used for the new Continental GT are 82 percent bespoke to them, with the W12 model being 85kg (187lbs) lighter than the equivalent predecessor. It still tips the scales though at 2,250kg (4,960lbs). The whole skin of the car is made out of aluminum that’s been crafted using the Super Formed technology, which allowed creating the complex, more sharply defined body lines of the new model.


The first, Launch models will be powered by the updated version of the company’s twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 TSI engine, paired for the first time with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The powertrain produces 635 PS (626 hp) and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) of torque and allows the new Conti GT to accelerate to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds (0-60mph in 3.6 sec) and reach a top speed of 333km/h (207mph).


Thanks to the adoption of the 48-volt electrical architecture, Bentley is making some bold claims about the dynamics of the new Continental GT; the new generation features the Bentley Dynamic Ride, a system that controls and adjusts the electronic actuators on the anti-roll bar of each axle, improving the ride comfort and of course, handling.


What it basically does is keeping the car flat when cornering by counteracting lateral roll forces, ensuring maximum tire-to-road contact. The use of the 48-volt system also means that there are virtually no delays in the Dynamic Ride’s responses. The revised air suspension also features three-chamber air springs that are filled with 60 percent more air in the softest setting, further improving the system’s scope to vary from sporty handling to limousine levels of comfort.


As for the cabin, Bentley did what everyone expected and used only the absolute best there is in natural materials, including natural leathers, sustainably sourced veneers and hand-polished chrome details. Over 10 square meters of wood are used in each Continental GT, with the wooden inlays requiring nine hours to be created and fitted by hand.


A fully digital and configurable instrument panel represents the next day for Bentley which also added a beautiful 12.3-inch “retina-quality” infotainment display. The huge screen can rotate and bring a veneer panel up front when wanted but wait, there's more; Bentley has also added a third side to the rotating mechanism which features three analogue dials displaying outside temperature, a compass and chronometer.


Production will start later this year, with the first cars to be delivered in Spring 2018. There’s no information regarding pricing, with the new generation expected to cost a bit more than the outgoing.


“We are the world leader in luxury mobility and our products and services define new luxury in the automotive world,” said Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley. “The new Continental GT encapsulates our desire to innovate as well as celebrate our heritage and take the Bentley ownership experience to the next, unparalleled level.”

PHOTO GALLERY:






Carscoops

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Limited Edition Ford GT 'Competition Series' Is All About The Track

Image
Ford's new GT Competition Series was built with weight-saving in mind, but also with an improved center of gravity for better road-holding. Among its features, you'll notice the lightweight carbon fiber racing stripes, A-Pillars and side mirrors, as well as the unique race-inspired Perspex acrylic engine hatch with integrated venting. Thanks to the manual latch and the carbon fiber prop rod, weight near the roof has been reduced, though Ford engineers went even further in their quest to make the car lighter, by making the bulkhead Gorilla Glass behind the driver about half as thick (and as light) as on other models. "The Ford GT has racing in its blood," said Ford exec Raj Nair, while adding that the Competition Series "was developed with the most hardcore track enthusiasts in mind, providing a tailored set of lightweight features and unique livery to match." There are also plenty of remaining performance features from the production car, such as
Read more

Alpine A110 Hits Geneva With Pure, Legende And GT4 Versions

Image
Renault’s reborn Alpine brand has been getting rave reviews for its new A110 and now, as promised, it’s revealed new versions of its coupe at the Geneva Motor Show. Following the success of the sold-out Premiere Edition, the A110 will now be offered in Pure and Legende trims. The A110 Pure is targeted at driving enthusiasts. It features one-piece Sabelt sports seats that weigh barely more than 13 kilograms (28.6 pounds) each and, combined with other weight-saving measures, helps keep the curb weight below 1,100 kg ( 2,425 lbs). It’s not entirely stripped out, though, and still comes with features like air-conditioning and satellite navigation. Buyers can also add upgraded Brembo brakes and an adaptive exhaust system and can upgrade to the adjustable comfort seats. Those come standard on the Legende model, which is geared more towards every day driving and grand touring and comes with leather upholstery. Customers can also choose between two Focal sound systems and two wheel
Read more

Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet Is A Crossover For Droptop Lovers

Image
Droptop crossovers have always been rather odd and the T-Roc Cabriolet is no different. It will be the only convertible Volkswagen on sale for the foreseeable future and will celebrate its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Rather than simply removing the roof of the standard T-Roc, Volkswagen has drastically altered the vehicle’s structure and body. In fact, its wheelbase is 37 mm longer than the standard T-Roc while its overall length is up by 34 mm. In addition, the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet features structural strengthening in the underbody, side panels, cross members, doors, and windscreen frame to make up for the lack of a roof. The folding fabric roof developed by Volkswagen retracts in just nine seconds at speeds of up to 19 mph (30.5 km/h) and is similar in operation to the roof of the outgoing Golf Cabriolet. The presence of the soft top reduces trunk space by 161 liters down from the 284 liters of the run-of-the-mill T-Roc. We don’t think bu
Read more