The new Bentley Continental GT has received a V8 heart much more potent than its predecessor; coupé and convertible are both on offer.
Grand touring is an art. Balancing sporty performance with exemplary luxury is no easy task, yet, the new Bentley Continental GT has certainly managed to tick the right boxes. A brand new design, modern architecture and commendable performance then are joined by a more frugal, environment-friendly stablemate – one with a little 4.0-litre V8. Little, because it’s a third less displacement and it also features cylinder deactivation, realised in just 20 milliseconds. Make no mistake, at full chat the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 delivers 550 PS and 770 Nm – up 43 PS and 110 Nm on the previous one (and up 22 PS and 90 Nm on the old V8 S) – hits 100 km/h from standstill in four seconds and a top speed of 318 km/h.
It’s not just about a new engine, the Bentley Continental GT V8 and V8 Convertible receive enhanced dynamics courtesy the Dynamic Ride Control system, air suspension with three-chamber air springs with variable stiffness to switch between a sharper sport setup to float-ier luxury comfort as the touch of a button. Continuous Damping Control also adapts the suspension setup to present road conditions dynamically to make for the best possible ride comfort and traction for the best handling characteristics. Finally, the Active All-wheel Drive system is essentially rear-wheel drive for the most part, but will split the torque sending more to the front wheels when needed.
The Bentley Continental GT V8 soon should make its way to India soon from about Rs 3.2 crore onwards, with the Convertible priced at a premium of Rs 30-35 lakh.
