Picture your ideal driver’s car. You’re probably imagining something small and lightweight, with a just-right amount of power and grip. The Bentley Continental GT V8 embodies none of these qualities.
Bentley claims a curb weight of 4773 lbs for the Continental GT V8. It has more than 500 horsepower and the means to turn that power into speed with shocking ease. It has a farm’s worth of leather and huge slabs of varnished wood in the gorgeously trimmed interior. Disciples of Lotus founder Colin Chapman—he who proclaimed “simplify, then add lightness”—would look upon it and weep.
And in spite of all that, the Continental GT V8 is joyful to drive. A look at its construction give us clues as to why.
The third-generation Continental GT rides on the same platform as the Porsche Panamera, though the Bentley is slightly shorter and wider. In V-8 form, it uses the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo engine as the Panamera Turbo. It makes 542 horsepower along with 568 lb-ft of torque from 1960 to 4500 rpm. With a redline at 6800 rpm, it’s actually the highest-revving engine ever put in a Bentley.
This V-8 is paired with a Porsche-sourced eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and a rear-biased all-wheel drive system. Three-chamber air springs and adaptive dampers are standard, while Bentley Dynamic Ride—active anti-roll bars driven by a 48-volt electrical system—is a $5359 option.
Good ingredients, but it’s what Bentley does with them that makes the Continental GT V8 so special.
With the previous Continental GT, the V-8 was the enthusiast’s choice. The W-12 model was nose-heavy; the lighter V-8 made for a better-handling car.
That previous-generation car was a product of Audi engineering philosophy—engine and gearbox tightly packed at the very front of the platform. The new one moves the engine rearward, with both V-8 and W-12 models achieving a 55:45 front-rear weight distribution. The eight-cylinder’s reduced cooling demand and shorter standard-equipment list add to the weight savings.
The interior is exquisite, too. So much so, it’s hard to write about it without resorting to cliche. So here goes: The leather is buttery, and all the detail work, from the stitching on these Mulliner-package-equipped car to the machined aluminum center console trim, is stunning. The optional, $6365 rotating display in the center stack offers three faces: a Porsche-sourced infotainment screen, a trio of analog gauges, or a stately wood panel. It’s a delight.
This is a luxury GT first and foremost, but one that engages, rather than isolates, the driver. It’s so good, it questions the very definition of a driver’s car. Perhaps we shouldn’t be so narrow-minded.
