The new Bentley Continental GT had to be more dynamic than its predecessor.
Reason enough for Bentley to work together with sister brand Porsche, when they laid the groundworks for the new Panamera.
The result is absolute wealth, coming from typical British craftsmanship,
only with incredibly sporty genes.
We wanted to share our first impression of this new Bentley a long time ago,
but just before the presentation, Bentley cancelled the whole gig.
They weren't happy with the car yet, which was mostly because of the electronics.
Clearly good wasn't good enough, so they postponed the presentation by six months.
Now however, everything's alright again, and indeed, aiming for perfection was their top priority.
Refinement is at lone heights in the Continental GT. Take the lacquered wood for example, which is from fallen trees.
Bentley doesn't chop down forests. Or the stitching which is as straight as an arrow in the soft leather,
which comes from meat cows. Big bulls from Northern Europe,
because there are no insects which puncture the skin. Or maybe the windscreen wipers which were tested at the top speed...
of 333 km/h in the rain... They haven't forgot about a single detail.
Everything you see, smell or touch, feels like it's been crafted with the most excessive attention.
Sure, we recognize some of the screens from other cars from the Volkswagen Group,
but if it's good, it's good. Why try to invent something new?
Also, what the other Audi's and Porsche's don't have, is that the central screen is able to turn around.
If it turns away, you get some classic dials. Almost like a Riva-speedboat.
Bentley says they want to give out less information, like a digital detox.
I mentioned it before, but the platform it's built on is a co-production with Porsche.
That also means this uses the PDK-gearbox as well, Porsche's DCT.
It's anchored in this platform, so that's why it's in the new Bentley as well.
If they'd used the platform of the new Audi A8, Bentley says, they wouldn't have been able to make it this dynamic.
Where Porsche mounts V6's and V8's in their platform, Bentley uses a W12.
That's right. 12 cylinders. An engine producing 635 horsepower.
Also, because of the new platform and gearbox, the engine is further to the back.
It's now inbetween the front wheels, instead of in front of the front axle like Audi.
That's a big advantage for the dynamics of the car.
The W12 is fitted with a double injection system. An indirect injection system for cleaner exhaust fumes,
and a direct one for more performance. If that weren't complicated enough,
the engine has two management systems. It's almost like it's powered by two VR6's.
And that brings us closer to the reason why the introduction was delayed.
In the PDK-gearbox, it's important that both engines produce the exact same amount of torque.
Or rather, no torque when changing gear. In a conventional automatic gearbox with a torque converter,
you can hide some imperfections, but that's impossible with this setup.
Bentley clearly wasn't satisfied by the calibration of the two systems, so they took some extra time.
And this is the result, because changing gear goes silky smooth. You barely notice something happens, and when something happens,
it happens at the right time. Bentley has really done a good job.
Going from corner to corner, the car doesn't even squeak. The extra calibration has really paid off.
There's nothing to complain about when it comes to the drivetrain, no matter if we're in Comfort- or Sport Mode.
Or even Bentley-mode, which is the mode inbetween Sport and Comfort.
Every other brand would've called it Normal-mode, but Bentley's are never normal, so that's why it's Bentley-mode.
We weren't able to catch the electronics making a mistake by selecting the wrong gear, or even timing a gear wrong.
Changing gear itself goes seemlessly. Almost like there's one big controlling computer,
instead of two for the engine and one for the DCT.
The way the W12 builds up power is very impressive. It not only produces 635 horsepower, but 900 Nm of torque as well,
distributed across a broad spectrum of revs. The W12 keeps to itself most of the time,
but when you put your foot down, it's able to respond explosively.
It's really great. Just listen to the impressive, deep growl.
So if you open up your windows, you've got the soundtrack of your own road movie.
A hybrid drivetrain with a V6 could be possible in the future, but for the time being,
there's only this amazing W12.
The engine has been moved to the back slightly, which is very positive for the center of gravity.
Other than that, there's some familiar equipment in the chassis which we know from the Porsche Panamera.
Take the three-chamber air suspension, the active roll bars which have their own 48-volt power grid,
and in Comfort-mode, that means it's incredibly comfortable.
It's almost like a flying carpet. If you're in Comfort-mode however,
you shouldn't push the car too far, because whatever is in your stomach could go flying as well,
and that's not what you want. If you put it in Sport-mode however,
it becomes a very attractive car. A GT in which you can go further than we first expected,
based on our experience with its predecessor. That's one of the big advantages of working together with Porsche.
Bentley could've used more Porsche-parts, like the rear-wheel steering as seen on the Panamera.
However, Bentley says, the gains would be minimal, and it would create more of a money flow from Crewe to Stuttgart.
Unnecessary, they said.
So, is there nothing to complain about. Well, not entirely,
This car acts at the absolute top of the spectrum, so you should be able to expect a lot of innovation,
but it lacks certain innovative features. If we take a look at Mercedes, we can see the first steps towards...
autonomous driving. Changing lanes autonomously, controlling systems with gestures,
satnav systems which are able to draw traffic signs in camera pictures...
That's available on an A-Class, which is a compact middle class car.
This car doesn't have that, but is that a problem?
Nope. It doesn't ruin the experience at all, because that's what Bentley is an expert at.
Creating a great experience, and that's something they've done incredibly well with this...
Right into the police trap...