Bentley Continental GTC Azure (2023) Review

The Netherlands has a lot to offer the discerning driver: beautiful speed bumps, smooth pavement for driving at 100, and on winding roads you’ll always have the company of cyclists and pedestrians. A high level that is often difficult to find abroad. So if you finally find a nice piece of tarmac (in this case in the Jura Mountains in Switzerland) and you have the right car under your belt (in this case a Bentley Continental GTC Azure with a V8), then it’s really sad. . if there is a truck driving in front of you at all times (in this case even two). Or maybe not?

We drive around Geneva, because this is where the Bentley Continental GT was launched twenty years ago. It was the first Bentley model under Volkswagen’s jurisdiction and the brand’s first car with the W12, an engine that is on the verge of extinction.

We run Continental GTC Azure: better

The original plan was that we would do this route today in Continental GT Speed ​​with the W12, but we have run the route before; and asking ChatGPT to rewrite the test for us, would be very lazy. With the Speed ​​GT we were definitely looking for a place to pass impatiently, but in the Bentley Continental GTC Azure we are fine with it.

Bentley’s Azure models aim for ultimate comfort. Massage chairs massage our backs gently, the sun provides vitamin D and the V8 propels us up the mountain with a satisfying hum. Where you are going is not going anywhere, let’s enjoy the journey for a longer time.

Azure Edition was added to the lineup for every Bentley last year. All get custom 22-inch wheels, more chrome on the grille, the best seats on the list and a softer suspension setup. And so they all have a V8 instead of a twelve cylinder.

The eight-cylinder makes itself heard

Once the truck is gone, we can’t resist putting the Continental in Sports mode. The V8 kid gloves come off and the engine emits an almost American roar. Along with the obvious whirring of the turbo, it becomes a less luxurious affair, but it’s still fun, especially with the roof down.

And once the air suspension and active controls are in this mode, creature comforts also don’t mind a gentle bend or two. On the highway you are above 130 km / h and your head is still out of the wind, which is pleasant.

So: which engine is best suited for the open Conti?

You feel that there is a good breeze in the other cabin. It is more pleasant to close the roof on the road at such speeds; then a lot of noise comes from wide tires, but not from the outside. With the roof closed you are also less disturbed by the reflection of the sun on the brushed aluminum on the dashboard – a small drawback.

We also did a farewell tour in the more powerful W12. It doesn’t have to work hard and, because of its lazy character, it feels like the perfect match for a fun yet fast car like the Azure. But it doesn’t have the versatile character that the eight-cylinder offers, and in terms of speeds the two are more or less interchangeable. They shouldn’t have cooperated either.

Bentley Continental GTC Azure (2023) Details

Engine

3.996 cc
V8 biturbo
550 pk @ 6.000 tpm
770 Nm @ 2000 rpm
Drive

four wheels
8v directly
Performance

0-100 km/h in 4.1 s
up 318 km/h
Consumption (average)

12.5 l/100 km
284 g/km CO2 G label
Measurements

4.850 x 2.187 x
1.399 mm (lxwxh)
2,849 mm (wheelbase)
2.165 kg
90 liters (gasoline)
235 l (luggage)
Price

nnb (NL)
nnb (B)