Bentley Continental GT Mulliner

For reasons I’ve still yet to fathom, Bentley have always been rather good to me. I approached them very early on in this parallel universe of a motoring writing “career”, or whatever-it-is of mine (Fear not, I’m not about to call it a journey, or some other millennial buzz-word) after having being directed towards their press office contact details by someone somewhere, deep within another of VW Group’s PR departments to whom I’ll always be eternally grateful.

    Volkswagen, in case you still weren’t aware, own Bentley. 

    Not long after I sent that first and somewhat tentative email, I was boarding a train to Crewe; Bentley’s HQ is on Pyms Lane. I was given a tour of the factory – what Bentley called The Experience, I recommend it to everyone.  And then I was given the keys to a W12 Continental GTC Speed. I remember just sitting in it outside the main entrance, in a mild state of disbelief. I was about to drive home in something that cost more than my house.

      That was in 2010, when Bentley would have charged you, for that particular Continental, at least – they’re all bespoke, essentially, built to their customer’s every whim – the still not inconsequential sum of £184,990. That was before options. I remember the W12 engine being a 6.0 litre twin-turbo masterpiece that produced 600 bhp. It was so smooth I almost forgave it its 17 mpg thirst.

     Alas that mighty 12 cylinder power plant is no more. But despite the new, fourth generation, Continental now only having a mere 8 cylinders displacing 4 litres beneath its “endless bonnet” it’s more powerful than it ever was: more powerful than any road-going Bentley that’s been before in fact.  It’s also more economical – more on that in moment – and, I’m happy to report, it’s also just as smooth as it ever was.

     You’ve been able to buy – budget permitting that is – a V8 Continental for a while, it was dare I say such things, the entry level-Bentley. Now though the V8 (it’s actually an all new V8) is accompanied by a 188 bhp e-motor that’s mounted between engine and eight-speed twin clutch gearbox. The combined output is a whopping 771bhp. That’s enough to shove this leather-lined, 2,459 kg, 2+2, to 62 mph in 3.1 seconds, from a standing start.

      It’s not all about all about gratuitous go however. The new Continental is a plug-in hybrid, charge up the batteries and you’ll get up to 50 miles range on electric alone – handy if you’re crossing a congestion zone. Leave the drive mode in Hybrid, like I did, and you’ll likely see the trip computer display average mpg readings spread as widely as 19 and 200+. Bentley also say the CO2 emissions are just 29 g/km – believe that if you will.

    Regardless of whether you choose to try to save the planet or simply cross it as fast as you dare, the new Continental – distinguishable by it now only having two headlamps instead of four, incidentally –  still delivers a driving experience few others, if any, can match. It’s not the most dynamic of grand tourers, it’s too heavy for that, and neither is it the most dramatic, or the most engaging perhaps. But it is by far the most sumptuous.

      The leather, the turned aluminum, the walnut. The heft of all the switches, and the way everything moves with a sense of such well-oiled precision… The fact of the matter is Bentley make interiors better than anybody else does, Rolls-Royce included.

      And then there’s the oily bits: four-wheel steering, twin chamber dampers (new for this generation), active anti-roll, an electronic diff and torque vectoring. When it comes to long-distance comfort, or simply just popping out to Sainsbury’s with your mum, there’s little to touch it.

      Fifteen years on since I first sampled a Bentley Continental and there’s still something very special about being able to do such things. The Continental remains both a pleasure and a glorious indulgence. And sadly, it still costs more than my house.

Bentley Continental GT Mulliner

Engine: 3,996cc V8-Cylinder, twin-turbo, petrol

Electric Motor: 140kW/188bhp

Combined Power:  771 bhp (Engine only: 591bhp @ 6,000 rpm)

Combined Torque: 738 lb ft (Engine only: 590lbft @ 2,000 – 4,500 rpm)

Transmission:   ZF dual clutch 8-speed auto with Manual Mode & active all-wheel drive

Battery: 25.9 kWh (charging time 2hrs 45 mins on fast charger / 8hrs 30 mins Domestic)

0-62 Mph: 3.1 sec

Max Speed: 208 mph (290km/h)

MPG: 27.4.1 (WLTP Combined)

CO2: 29 g/km.

Electric only range: 50 miles

Driving range: 534 miles

Price: from £254,200 (before options)

@bird_liam

Many thanks to Mike at Bentley Motors Crewe for the loan of the Bentayga

www.bentleymotors.com