The new 2011 Bentley Continental GT has been launched, each body panel of the MKII Continental is different. Dirk van Braeckel and the design team from Bentley have taken the familiar Continental design and refined it. This car is everything the current Continental GT is, only more.
“The new Continental GT is an automotive work of art, with superb craftsmanship and elegant, contemporary design. It drives like a supercar, but without the usual sacrifices in ride or practicality. It is a car that you can enjoy every moment of every day.” Says Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive.
The engine has been changed and now the new Bentley Continental GT has a 4.0-litre V8, hitting 567 horsepower. The transmission is a six-speed Quick shift that has swaps cog technology to change gear quicker and to perform double downshifts. The ZF six-speed gearbox is claimed to half shift times using Supersports technology.
The new Bentley Continental can do 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds and a top speed 198 mph.
The interior has an 8-inch touch screen interface, Cobra seats, climate control, dynamic navigation, Google Maps and leather lined door pouches with water bottle holders.
The engineering architecture is different although the car has an identical wheelbase and overall length of the old model. The all wheel drive system is now 40/60 front to rear, and the coefficient of drag has been reduced to 0.33. The wheel arches have been increased in size to accommodate 20 inch rims as standard, there will be 21 inch wheels as a cost option.
The front lights are noticeably different upon first sight, they look fresh and sharp. The inner lamps are powered by xenon on low beam and LED on high beam. The outer lenses are day running lights and illuminate entirely by diode.
This car will be lighter as weights saving measures have been implemented including the use of aluminium throughout. The front wing is now a single aluminium piece including the boot and bonnet too, this results in a weight saving of 63kg.
“The new GT coupe interior combines form, practicality and innovation. Our task was to translate the original design sketches for the car's cabin – which were quite extreme, almost revolutionary for a Bentley – into the final design. The result is a cockpit that moves the Continental GT on to the next generation.” Said Darren Day, Senior Designer.
PERFORMANCE
Top Speed: 198 mph (318 km/h)
0 – 60 mph: 4.4 seconds (0-100 km/h: 4.6 seconds)
0 -100 mph: 10.2 seconds (0-160 km/h: 10.2 seconds)
30 – 50 mph (50-80 km/h): 1.7 seconds
50 – 75 mph (80-120 km/h): 2.9 seconds
