GT Speed? I guess the clue is in the title…

Right. Think of the Speed as a big GT GTi. It’s still offers the same luxury appeal as the original Conti GT launched in 2003, but looks meaner and goes harder. The highlights are an extra 50bhp for the big W12, lowered suspension, tasty new and wider alloys plus some subtle visual tweaks.

So the Speed replaces the original Conti GT?

No, it’s an addition to the range. The existing cars – GT coupé, Flying Spur saloon and GTC convertible – are all still available, but only the two-door coupé can be had as a Speed. It’s 35kg lighter than the old GT thanks to lighter suspeniosn and cooling system components, but still weighs a scale-buckling 2350kg. You can shave a further 25kg if you order the optional ceramic brakes, though. As well as reducing the unsprung weight, they even chop a tenth from the 0-60mph time because there’s less mass to rotate. But the big changes are under the bonnet. The W12 engine retains its 6.0-litre capacity and 552bhp/479lb ft outputs of the the regular GT (despite some minor mechanical tweaks) but the Speed’s new pistons and revised engine management system endow it with 600bhp and 553lb ft. Both cars emit a rain forest-raping 396g/km but at least that’s better than the 410g/km the old car produced.
continue reading "Bentley Continental GT Speed"

Another new Bentley?

Yep, Bentley is on a roll. After Continental GT in 2003, the Flying Spur in 2005 and the new Azure and Continental GTC in ‘06, now we have a refreshed 2007-model year Arnage. It’s not an all-new car, but there are some significant changes and a promise that this is a ‘true driver’s car’.

A true driver’s car?! It looks like about as driver-focused as a Chesterfield sofa…

Don’t let the looks deceive you. Under the virtually unchanged skin lie some serious mechanical changes. Firstly, the ponderous and frankly awful 4-speed automatic gearbox has been tossed and replaced with a much more responsive six-speed ZF ‘box. This new transmission not only offers two more gears, but also three modes (Sport, Drive and Semi-Automatic) and a far more intuitive manual shift option. Still no steering wheel mounted shift paddles though…
continue reading "Bentley Arnage T"

Ah, a convertible version of the Continental GT coupe. Hollywood housewives and the French riveria will be delighted.

Yup, it’s the open top Continental, the GTC. A Crewe cut was always part of the GT model family, even if the cabrio has required some thorough engineering to create. Losing the coupe’s roof required additional strengthening to sills, cross-braces for the front and rear suspension, and beefed-up A-pillars to stop the body from flexing. And the rear suspension had to be completely redesigned to lower the shock absorber mounts by 210mm. The penalty is a 110kg weight gain, over the already lardy GT coupe. And there’s been no upgrade to the engine, not that the twin-turbo W12 was lacking urge.

Okay, it’s well engineered. How’s it look?

Perhaps the GT coupe is a little too familiar on our roads or it could be the footballer associations, but the GTC definitely has an added touch of class. How long that will last when it becomes the WAG’s default choice of flash car remains to be seen. However, there’s no doubting the GTC is a handsome car, with real presence. It’s a simple three-box shape and the rear end looks far happier than the coupe’s over-heavy rump. As for the roof, it looks good when it’s up, and it folds away in a laconic, unflustered fashion. Bentley says it could have made the roof fold away quicker, but that would have been ungainly and there’s nothing wrong with it taking 25 seconds instead of 20. It also works at speeds up to 20mph, so there’s no need to do anything as gauche as stop if the rain begins to fall.
continue reading "Bentley Continental GTC"

This is Bentley’s facelifted Continental GTC and the mid-life tweakery completes Crewe’s revisions to its Continental range. The changes also usher in the higher-power 600bhp Speed model, which Bentley predicts will account for two-thirds of GTC sales. It’s also the car Bentley denied they’d build when we scooped the GTC Speed last year!

The new Continental GTC range will be on display at next week’s Detroit 2009 motor show.

Is it a full-on facelift for the Bentley Continental GTC, or a mild botox injection?
The latter. Examine the new GTC Speed with a spirit level and you might just spot the more upright front grille with a prouder edge. Chrome bezels now surround the headlamps and there’s a bigger lower air intake to help feed the more powerful engine.

And the extra power that comes from these larger air intakes?
Power is up to 600bhp, thanks to a few tweaks to the 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12, making it Bentley’s most powerful convertible ever. It puts the 500bhp Azure T to shame, frankly.

There’s also 553lb ft – a 15% increase over the ‘standard’ GTC – which is delivered all the way from 1700-5600rpm. Together these bhp and lb ft figures combine to power the GTC Speed to 60mph in 4.5 seconds, a ton in 10.6sec, and on to a top speed of 200mph (or 195mph with the roof down for maximum high-drying effect).

Can the Conti’s chassis cope?
Hopefully. The GTC Speed features 20-inch wheels and bespoke Pirelli P Zero tyres, lowered suspension (down 10mm front, 15mm rear), new anti-roll bars and dampers and re-tuned steering.

The world’s largest ceramic brakes (for a road-going production car) are on the options list. The front discs measure a whopping 420mm, a paltry 356mm at the rear, and only fit if you’ve ordered the 20-inch wheels.

And inside?
Speed models get a three-spoke Saab-alike steering wheel, drilled alloy pedals (‘standard’ GTC models get a ‘B’ brake pedal), lots of chrome trim and diamond-quilted leather seats.

‘The Continental GTC is an elegant Grand Touring convertible in the Bentley tradition, exciting the emotions with its distinctive blend of performance, luxury, craftsmanship and modernity,’ schmoozes Bentley chairman and CEO Dr Franz-Josef. ‘The GTC Speed completes the family of Continental Speed models and broadens the appeal of the GTC to customers who demand a more focused, open-top driving experience.’