Bentley Continental GT coupe review

After more than half a decade in the making, the third-generation Bentley Continental GT coupe has arrived to take on luxurious exotica like the Aston Martin DB11, Mercedes-AMG GT and Ferrari 812 Superfast.

Its predecessor popularised Bentley and became the marque's best-selling model of all time. Now, as the Volkswagen Group's ownership of the British brand is old news and Bentley looks towards an electrified future, the Continental GT has never been better at offering its owners transport from one side of Europe to the other with a lot more potential for fun along the way.

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Not only is the Continental GT 100% new, it shares its underpinnings with the Porsche Panamera, and Bentley engineers were embedded with Porsche during its inception to ensure they’d end up with exactly the toolkit they’d need to develop the ultimate two-door Bentley.

A design overhaul, complete with muscular proportions and a more ground-hugging appearance, give Bentley's most sporting model much more purpose this time around. It isn’t any longer than before but the wheels have been teased out to each corner for a more athletic stance, while forming the panels at 500 degrees Celsius has resulted in sharp edges and creases that add muscle to the overall design. A Blackline pack that sees chrome replaced by gloss black trim also points to the Continental's popularity with a younger set of buyers who prefer more aggressive looks. 

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A new 6.0-litre W12 twin-turbo engine arrived first but it was subsequently joined by a smaller V8 – a petrol-electric V6 plug-in hybrid may eventually join the range too. Significant changes meant the W12 model was much sharper than its predecessor, but the less expensive and lighter V8 model is still absurdly quick. Perhaps for this reason, the Continental GT and GT Mulliner now come with only the V8 engine, with a tuned version of the W12 only available in the flagship GT Speed. This also has a host of chassis upgrades to make it one of the most exciting Bentleys to drive ever.

In all versions, the engine now sits nearer the centre of the car and there's a new eight-speed gearbox and suspension. The heavyweight GT belies its size on track, handling more like a four-wheel-drive sports saloon, but adaptable suspension allows everything to be softened when Comfort mode is chosen. An electronically controlled limited-slip differential appears in the GT Speed for the first time, making the coupe even more playful, while enormous optional carbon-ceramic brakes help deal with the extra power.

The Continental's occupants have plenty to enjoy inside, from the delightful leather massaging seats to the new 12.3-inch infotainment display that can be hidden at the press of a button when Bentley's rotating display is chosen as an option. As always, each customer is also able to specify their GT to be completely unique, from the shade of the leather to the wooden veneer and optional audio systems.

Bentley interiors have long been among the finest in the world, but now the latest chassis and infotainment technology has been added to the mix, the Continental GT has become arguably the best all-round grand tourer on sale.