What has changed in the Bentley Continental GT in twenty years?

Yes, two full decades have passed since the two-door coupe and its W12 marked the rebirth of the VW Group-sponsored Crewe brand. The first generation got a major facelift in 2010 and was completely redesigned in 2018, meaning the only parts the two share are the electric motors that let you open the rear side windows.

How much did the Continental revive Bentley?

The effect was sensational. In 1998, Bentley sold just 414 new cars. But after an investment of 500 million pounds in the factory, and thanks to the platform that also formed the basis of the Phaeton ego project of the head of VW Ferdinand Piëch, Bentley had a best seller that cost 270,000 euros (at that time in the Netherlands). From 2004 onwards, around 7,000 were sold worldwide per year. Today, one in three Bentleys sold is a Continental.

Still big, heavy and luxurious: what has changed?

The concept of both models is the same, but what Bentley has done well is to integrate a large number of technologies without making the whole experience feel too healthy or cheap. The first navigation and Volkswagen-like buttons of the 2003 model now look old-fashioned, while the new Conti spoils you with its beautiful materials and finishes, a rotating screen on the dashboard and ventilated massaging seats. But they certainly have that feeling of reassuring weight, endless torque and protection from the angry outside world together.

Has performance improved somewhat?

Maybe not as much as you think. Our 2003 model has 560 hp and can take you and three friends from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. He continues until the clock shows 318 km / h. The Bentley Continental GT Speed​​​​ has an additional 100 hp, can reach a top speed of 335 km / h and is 1.2 seconds faster at the national speed limit.

What you do notice is that modern engine management, four-wheel drive and a set of extra ratios in the gearbox significantly reduce the feeling of ‘holding too much’. In the old Conti you warned briefly when accelerating. Meanwhile, the current car has already arrived.

What is the biggest difference between the old and the new?

Body roll (which now faces 48-volt active controls bars), the quality of the buttons and so on, and the improvement of the ride. The old is good; the new one is a closed isolation room.

On the other hand, it can be a little more powerful than it should be, which means that the gearbox often does not know what to do. And you try not to focus on the fact that you burn about 24 liters of fuel every 100 kilometers.

Is the new Continental a game changer for Bentley?

Considering how the overall philosophy behind the car has changed, the answer has to be yes. At a time when Aston Martin has finally found the right recipe for a ‘super GT’ with the DB12, from the DB7 through the DB9 and DB11, the Bentley Continental GT has always been a good, loyal servant to the brand that needs it so much. knight in shining armor.