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 Posted: Thu 13:45, 29 Aug 2013 Post subject: New Bentley GT unveiled |
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New Bentley GT unveiled
The Crewe firm has also now confirmed that the luxury coupe will cost from £135,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],760 when its reaches dealerships in the first quarter of 2011. The price includes the new 20 per cent VAT rate that comes into force in January and adds up to an increase of almost £10,000 on the current car's £126,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],500 price.
To get the full story on the new Continental GT,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Auto Express was granted exclusive access to the car ahead of the show with Bentley's head of exterior design, Raul Pires.
"We had three key goals for this car - to improve the proportions, to make the signature lines more contemporary and to give the car a more bespoke,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], handmade feel,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," Pires explained. Get up close,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and the Continental's sharp new look is immediately noticeable - every panel is new except the wing mirrors, which are borrowed from the Mulsanne.
Thanks to a new cutting-edge process known as aluminium super forming, the muscular bodywork has been given a sharper edge. All the major feature lines, especially the trademark rear wheel arches are crisper and more defined, smartening up the coupe's appearance. Whereas before the GT featured a steel bonnet and plastic bumper arrangement, now the entire front wing is made from one single sheet of metal.
"This proces is more expensive and more time consuming,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but with a low-volume car like this it's possible to try new things." said Pires.
The imposing front grille now sits more upright and 40mm lower, allowing the sculpted bonnet to fit snugly between the bulging front wheel arches. The four headlight layout is familiar,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but now each of the lamps features jewel-like LEDs surrounding the main bulb. A wider track,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], front and rear, as well as the double-elipse LED taillights that wrap around the corners of car add to the GT's already impressive width, while the height and length remain roughly the same. And for the first time 21-inch wheels are offered as an option, in either 'Elegant' or split-rim 'Sports' design.
As with all Bentleys the devil is in the detail,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and Pires was keen to point out some of the car's finer points: "This car has the least amount of chrome detailing of any model in the range, but it all has a function. The rubbing strips on the side of the car are now protruding,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], to help prevent stone chips on the rear wheel arch." Other clever touches include headlight washers incorporated into the light assembly and no shut lines running through the rear lights - both to create a less-cluttered surface.
On the inside, the hand-crafted interior has been reworked for even greater luxury and functionality. The sweeping dashboard mimics the wings on the Bentley badge, while every surface is trimmed in metal, soft-touch leather or wood veneers. Under foot, deep-pile carpets boost comfort levels even further. New 'Cobra' design seats are each 25kg lighter and more compact than the ones they replace, freeing up an extra 46mm of legroom for rear passengers.
A new cutting-edge infotainment suite, something prospective customers demanded according to Pires, includes an eight-inch touchscreen to control the car's audio system, telephone, suspension settings and latest sat-nav system with seven-digit postcode input and 30GB built-in hard drive. An eight-speaker sound system is offered as standard, while an 11-speaked Naim setup can be specified.
"The great thing about Bentley is that we combine sportiness and luxury like no other brand," Pires reminded us. From our time with the car it's clear that the newcomer ticks the box marked 'luxury', but what about the sportiness?
For the first time Continental GT customers will be offered a choice of two high-performance engines - an improved version of the current W12 unit, available from October and costing around £130,000, and an all-new 4.0-litre V8 with 40 per cent lower CO2 emissions, on sale in late 2011.
Packing an extra 15bhp and 50Nm of torque,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the revised 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 now produces a phenomenal total of 567bhp and 700Nm of torque. This additional power, and a weight saving of 65kg compared to the outgoing car,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], help the newcomer to sprint from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds - two tenths quicker - and on to a top speed of 198mph.
Transmitting all that power to the wheels is a uprated version on the six-speed ZF Quickshift transmission. Shift times are cut by half to just 200 milliseconds, while it can now jump two ratios at a time on downshifts and automatically blip the throttle for precise rev-matching and smoother changes. The car's four-wheel drive system has also been tweaked from a 50:50 power split, to a 40:60 front-rear bias for a more dynamic driving experience.
According to Pires this car is "an evolution of the revolution,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," which is no bad thing. In the last seven years Bentley has sold more examples of the first-generation car than it did in total over the previous 90 years. So by subtly refining and improving an already winning formula, it appears Bentley has a guaranteed success on its hands.
sorry but i never regarded it as a proper Bentley nor the flying spur. Although they tried to match its styling to the old S3 Continental,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but it seems to have failed. its not got that slab faced gaint menace Bentley grill that supposed to shit the crap out of other car drivers. giving them credit as they tried to make it a bit upmarket by replacing the VW suspension for Audi ones but i doubt that would help move it more upmarket. its a cheap mass marketing exercise and i don't think in the future it will hold it value well. good looking it maybe but is it a proper Bentley?. i think not. VW have done a much better job on the other new models. I have sat in an old Bentley built by Mulliner and believe me the feeling is very different. Seeing that Rolls-Royce engine roar into life is quite a feeling but instead in this its some sort of VW family engine - feels very cheap in my opinion
its a fair point about the engines, but i personally believe that a V8 would be more than perfect. The most famous of all the R-R engines was the V8 6.75L engine. Although R-R did make V12's but this V8 6.75L is the longest living and oldest engine in their history. Maybe i am too much of a traditionalist or purist but i personally believe that you need the key ingredients right first to make the item special and follow on from its history. these brilliant cars like Rolls-Royce and Bentley were all about engineering and luxury but today it seems luxury means more and more technology but these beauties are not about technology, its about admiring the thought, process and engineering that went into making these cars that made them that extra special. That is the British way.
Having spent a fair time in the GT and after owning and driving porsches and driven Astons and alike over many years, The Bentley was not first on my lips,t hough I could not afford a Bentley in truth so when a friend aquired a new one a few years ago,I got to know them, these cars are so good its unbelievable,it took me a little while to appreciate just how good, after a lifetime of being a total car fan,If you have the cash make the dash and get the W12 but by all means try the V8 - as its too early to comment further here, my pal gets good MPG on a run and she handles really well and lets face in Camera-Land unless you track a car, this will take you anywhere, He also goes accross continent all the time and nothing touches it, after a 2500 mile trip recently, he is still really amazed by it and its has been totally reliable ! "Sure its a home on wheels" but its a great place for drivers too !
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