The Bentley Continental GT is a 2-door Gran Turismo luxury coupe, with a 2 + 2 landing combination. The Bentley Continental R and Continental T, the base of which was developed by Rolls-Royce, was taken as the basis for creating the Continental GT model. The coupe was developed by a group of designers led by Dirk van Brekel in a studio in Crewe, where the Bentley factory is also located. The task to create a new and at the same time recognizable look was fully implemented. Classically massive front and no less weighty rear body length is 4800 mm (but the shortest model in the family), and all this magnificence weighs more than two tons.
The Bentley Continental GT coupe was completely “drawn” on the computer. And in record time. Only four months - from August to December 1999 - it took the creative team to create an image of this Bentley. For the first time, the serial Bentley Continental GT was introduced in early 2003 and by the middle of the year appeared on the Russian market. Recall that the concept of the Bentley Continental GT was introduced in the fall of 2002 at the Paris Motor Show, from which the production model was practically no different. As for the cabin, the Bentley Continental GT is quite spacious, each of the four passengers will sit comfortably in it.
Every detail of the interior corresponding to the classical canons, whether it is instrumented by metal rims or a noble wooden finish, testifies that the car belongs to the elite. It is worth noting the mixture of luxury and sporty style, which immediately speak pedals made of embossed aluminum; floor tunnel, which divides the salon in half, creating a feeling like in a sports car. For the car is offered 15 colors trim. As an option for the cabin is offered a special package Mulliner Driving Specification.
It includes: three options for the color of the cladding material (walnut - Burr Walnut, dark stained walnut - Dark Stained Burr Walnut, black lacquer - Piano Black); diamond stitching leather seats with embroidered Bentley emblem; perforated leather upholstery; sports alloy gear lever; three-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel; sporty light alloy pedals with holes. Under the hood of the Bentley Continental GT is a W-shaped 12-cylinder engine with two turbochargers and an intercooler with a capacity of 560 hp. It was borrowed from the German luxury sedans Audi A8 and Volkswagen Phaeton.
The coupe has a truly sporty character: it takes less than 5 seconds to accelerate to 100 km / h, and the maximum speed of the car exceeds 300 km / h. Stock traction is felt even at speeds above 200 km / h. By the way, thanks to this, the Bentley Continental GT, echoing its legendary ancestor, claims to be the fastest 4-seater coupe in the world. The Bentley Continental GT is the first Bentley with four-wheel drive. Naturally, technically the machine is equipped with the full program.
Here and the newest 6-speed automatic transmission (ZF 6HP26), and ESP (Bosch), which, being disabled by the driver, turns on unobtrusively when the electronics consider it necessary, and ventilated brake discs on all wheels, and ABS ( Bosch), and pneumatics on both suspensions (clearance does not depend on the load), and a rear spoiler, which rises itself only at high speed. The coupe is programmed for dynamism and high speed, but remains extremely comfortable and obedient steering. The car is perfectly balanced. In addition, at the disposal of the driver behind the wheel is a mass of electronic assistants, such as traction control and stability control.
The Continental GT is equipped with an air suspension with several stiffness adjustment steps, which allow it to be both comfortable and sporty. Clearance is also changeable. With a standard 120 mm, the coupe automatically reduces it to 100 mm at a speed, but if necessary (for example, in a snowdrift), the clearance can be increased to 150 mm using a special button. In 2007, a new version of the Bentley Continental GT, called the Bentley Continental GT Speed, entered the market. It is worth noting the fact that the car Continental GT Speed is the most powerful in the history of the company Bentley.
But not only was the power distinguished by the coupe, since it is also the first car with a maximum speed of 326 km / h. The following changes have taken place in the exterior of the Bentley Continental GT Speed: an enlarged lower air intake and a vertically divided grille (now in dark color) that provide enhanced airflow; increased exhaust pipes of a sports type. For the body is offered 16 "standard" colors of paint, which are now included two new colors for the GT: Cumbrian Green (Cumbrian Green) and granite (Granite). As for the interior, it also offers a rich range of colors, which includes the previous 15 colors and 2 new colors: red-brown (Newmarket Tan) and green (Cumbrian Green).
And as standard, the Mulliner Driving Specification option package mentioned above was already included. The W12 engine was finalized and now gave out not 560 hp. and all 610 hp. The torque also increased by 15 percent and amounted to 750 Nm at 1750 rpm.
In this regard, the acceleration to 100 km / h from Continental GT Speed now takes 4.5 seconds. Note that due to internal improvements of the power unit, CO2 emissions were reduced by 3.5% (396 g / km) and fuel consumption. The chassis of the car was reconfigured, which provided sharper handling and maneuverability. Also contributed to this and the new broader 20-inch wheels with Pirelli tires, which were already included as standard. As an option, the installation of wear-resistant carbon ceramic brakes was proposed.
ZF 6HP26 automatic transmission has also been modified. This made it possible to bring the automation in terms of speed to mechanical switching, while maintaining the smoothness of switching, which is characteristic of the "automatic". In general, the Bentley Continental GT Speed version can rightfully be given the title of a luxury sports coupe. Also in early 2007, the Bentley Continental GT set a speed record on ice.
Four-time WRC champion Juha Kankkunen set a world record by driving across the ice of the Baltic Sea near the city of Oulu, Finland. The average speed of arrival was 321.6 km / h, while the maximum speed reached by the driver was 331 km / h. The previous record was 296 km / h, which was delivered by Bugatti EB110 Supersport. Note that the record was set almost on a standard Continental GT, except for: a protective arc, some aerodynamic improvements, as well as fuel and settings for low temperatures. In 2011, the Continental GT was updated.
The public debut took place at the Paris Motor Show. The car is modified to provide an even greater level of dynamics and ride quality. When creating the Continental GT 2011, Bentley designers managed to combine the spirit of the past years' iconic Bentley Continental models with advanced technologies. For example, a powerful bonnet and a “muscular” rear end appeared thanks to the capabilities of cutting-edge superforming technology, which allows you to produce seamless panels from a single aluminum sheet. Despite the fact that the coupe looks almost the same as its predecessor, all exterior panels are designed from scratch.
Designers have focused on the well-recognized features of the car: its characteristic lines and body edges are as if pointed and made clearer. With the previous wheelbase (2746 mm) and the total length (4806 mm), the coupe was 24 mm wider (1944 mm), thanks to the enlarged rear wings, and 14 mm higher (1404 mm). By the way, the wheel track has also grown: front 41 mm, rear 46 mm. The waist line of the car became higher, and the window opening narrowed slightly and stretched slightly, giving the silhouette more refinement and dynamics.
Using lighter and more durable materials wherever possible, from engine components to the seats in the cabin, the engineers managed to reduce the total weight of the Bentley compared to the first-generation car by 65 kg (up to 2320 kg). One of the main differences between the "new" and "old" Continental GT - headlights. They not only became bigger, but also acquired a decent frame: LED headlights are now built in around each lens. A closer look at the car shows that the seam, which previously divided the headlights in half, has now disappeared. As the size of the door in the car increased, the side lights underwent the forced modification: they became a little shorter.
In the back of the car, some transformations also took place: the side lights and exhaust pipes became flatter, the reversing lights lowered even lower. In general, it turned out pretty classic, strong and “muscular” look. The interior of the Bentley is made by hand.
In a stylish and comfortable cabin can comfortably accommodate 4 people. The interior has become softer and more inviting. The main control devices, equipment and dashboard were not shifted a centimeter, but now they are more clearly embedded in a rich wood trim and soft shades around. Everywhere bright metallic edges. There is a new multimedia system with integrated navigation, a 30-gigabyte hard drive and a eight-inch touch screen. The central tunnel was almost unchanged.
But the door panels, seats, trim materials and colors - new. The seats have become thinner and lighter. They can be ventilated, and also at the request of the client to have a massage system with ten rollers. Seat belts of the front seats, previously attached directly to their backs, moved to more familiar places for them - where the central pillars are usually located (they are not here). Combinations of soft leather, unobtrusive metal and wood make the Bentley Continental GT salon luxurious and pleasing not only to the eye, but also to the touch. Under the hood remained the former six-liter biturbomotor W12.
Here are just the power characteristics of the engine have been improved. It was 560 hp and 650 N • m - it became 575 forces and 700 newton meters. With such power supply, the coupe with the same maximum speed (318 km / h) as the first GT accelerates to a hundred in 4.6 seconds, or two tenths of a second faster than its predecessor, and consumes an average of 16.5 liters of fuel per 100 km . In tandem with the engine, a six-speed “automatic” ZF works with the possibility of shifting gears under the steering wheel petals.
In addition, thanks to the advanced FlexFuel technology, the W12 engine is able to digest not only regular unleaded gasoline, but also eco-friendly bio-ethanol or their mixture in any proportions. And both types of fuel are poured into the same 90-liter fuel tank. The car became more agile and more exciting in the corners thanks to a modified all-wheel drive.
The new central differential Torsen distributes the engine thrust between the front and rear axles in the proportion of 40:60 in favor of the rear wheels (it used to be 50:50).
