Bentley Continental GT - GTC History
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The Bentley Continental GT and GTC are the two-door companions to the luxuriant four-door Continental Flying Spur. Offered in a grand total of five different models for the current model year, the Continental GT emerged in a sole coupe version in the 2005 model year. Over the current generation, the Continental two-door lineup has added power and has received a mild cosmetic touch-up, along with some other mechanical upgrades. The cars it elbows aside at the valet-parking stand include the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class coupe, the Ferrari California, and possibly the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe.
The basics of the $185,000 coupe and $200,000 convertible are shared with the Flying Spur. Though the two-doors have a much shorter wheelbase, they share the engine, transmission, all-wheel-drive system, and other performance pieces with the four-door Spur. At the core: a 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged twelve-cylinder engine in which the cylinders are arranged not in a V shape, but as a W. This spares some room under the hood, and produces power just as copiously and as smoothly as a conventional V-12.
In the first generation, which was sold until the 2011 model year with one exception, the standard W-12 engine produced 552 horsepower, and a 0-60 mph acceleration time of about 5 seconds, even though the cars each weighed more than 5500 pounds. Updated Speed editions saw power rises to 600 hp, while acceleration times fell below 5 seconds and top speed on coupes rose to 195 mph. A Supersports model added on 21 more horsepower, for a 0-60 mph of 3.7 seconds, and a manufacturer-rated top speed of 204 mph; an ISR special edition reached 631 horsepower. Each version used a six-speed, paddle-operated automatic transmission. Each also rode on an independent suspension, with power shuffled to the wheels via all-wheel drive and a Torsen differential. Fuel economy in the Continental GT in this generation was a very low 10/17 mpg, mitigated only a little by the flex-fuel capability of all versions.
Among the myriad convenience and luxury features on the Continental were a marvelous convertible lid on the GTC versions that folded closed or open in 25 seconds, at the touch of a switch. Lavish interior materials distinguished this Continental range even from the Ferraris and Maseratis of the world, and a 1000-watt Naim audio system was on the options list for a mere $6000 or so. The Mulliner trim package of quilted leather, knurled chrome and turned aluminum trim, was a highlight of modern-day automobile construction.
In the 2012 model year, Bentley updated the Continental GT and GTC with slightly revised styling, and made a 567-hp version of the W-12 standard. A quicker shifting pattern and a revised torque bias, to 40:60, for the all-wheel-drive system were matched with slightly more sporty handling. The Speed editions were dropped for the 2012 model year, but the Supersports GTC models were carried over intact from the 2011 model year, without the cosmetic and mechanical changes.
