Last Friday marked the Malaysian preview of the all-new Bentley Continental GT. This is the third generation of the Continental GT and it ups the game even more than before. This Grand Tourer is now even more luxurious, even more sporting and a statement of modern technological luxury. This new Continental GT is estimated to be priced at RM1.9million before all the taxes and options are included. It may cost up to RM4 million with the 'correct' options. Of course, if you do walk in and ask how much....
The launch event was held at the Bentley Kuala Lumpur showroom where invited customers, guests and members of the media laid eyes on the super sports tourer for the first time. The event featured a video presentation on the evolution of the Bentley Continental GT, which draws a lot of its inspiration from the original R-Type Continental from the 1950s.
It was a car made 66 years ago that became a template and inspiration for the future of Bentley. The first of the Bentley R-Types that were coveted by many. 'R' here stands for Roadholding. Typically British in many ways and nothing like the exuberance of calling the 'R' as type 'Race'. This original R-Type Continental, and the first generation of the Continental GT in 2003 which has created a benchmark of revolutionary, luxury design, technology and performance is what the new third generation is all about.
“Tonight, we celebrate not only the debut of the new Continental GT, but also a showcase of Bentley’s revolutionary design and engineering achievements.The all-new Continental GT marks another milestone for Bentley, setting the benchmark for luxury grand touring yet again with its unique combination of luxury and performance”, explained Jerry Lee, Managing Director of Wearnes Quest (above, left).
“It encapsulates Bentley’s desire to innovate while staying true to its design DNA, continuously evolving to shape the future of luxury and the future of performance. It is specially crafted for discerning Bentley owners and the new generation, who understand and thrive with real power, luxury and innovation - the future of Bentley Kuala Lumpur.”
The car is now available for booking, but there are those that have already ordered very much in advance. So Bentley Kuala Lumpur expects customer deliveries and handovers of the new Continental GT in Malaysia to commence towards the end of Q2 2018. This is pretty quick in ultra luxury car terms.
Now at the heart of the new Continental GT sits an all-new, 635PS / 900nm version of Bentley’s 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 TSI engine. It actually gets a dual-clutch eight-speed transmission, for a more faster, more sporting gear change. This is quite interesting as Bentley has decided to go for outright performance rather than a more refined or ultra smooth transmission. It does get to do super fast launched with this transmission thought. 0-100kmh is a mere 3.7 seconds and you can go right up to 333kmh if you have the nuggets to do so.
This is also new, technically advanced, adaptive chassis in the Continental GT. It now Bentley’s intelligent 48-volt Dynamic Ride System to ensure a responsive ride, exceptional handling and refinement in all road conditions. The new system controls ride comfort and lateral roll, cushioning passengers from excessive movement, as well as making the car feel effortlessly precise. It should be even better than the first two generations which were actually engineered to cruise effortlessly at very high speeds under all sorts of road conditions and weather.
The new exterior styling is impressive. To me, that is. It now looks lower, wider and sleeker. The car also as dazzling crystal like headlights that look superb. No other car seems to have such jewel-like lights. The overall design harks back to the 1950s R-Type Conti as you now have curvier flanks and that long bonnet reminiscent of grand tourers from the 1950s. A time where people did inter-continental driving in style.
As for the chassis and platform, the new Continental GT was created using revolutionary technology, results in a lightweight, yet stiff body. The engine is positioned further back to improve weight distribution, resulting in driver focused, dynamic performance. Coupled with the new suspension and transmission, this looks very promising indeed. Especially if you actually had a go in the previous iterations.
The Continental GT as usual offers four proper seats and improved luggage capacity for genuine real-world usability. No cramped rear seats and getting in and out of the rear is pretty easy .The seat trimmings are in a ‘diamond in diamond’ leather design. A lot of work has also gone into harmonising the extensive portfolio of 15 colours across hides and carpets. No expense spared in terms of crafting a proper super luxurious grand tourer this time around. They've actually upped the game by leaps and bounds. And as if the previous Contis were lacking in the first place!!!
The instrument cluster is now very 2018. Not 1954 of course. It is an advanced, fully digital, driver-focused instrument panel and Bentley Rotating Display for the driver.. There is an large 12.3” touchscreen housed in a three-sided unit, which sits under a revolving veneer to reveal it. There is three elegant analogue dials as well so that the trads can still be satisfied when driving such a technological tour de force.
As with every Bentley, the interior design of the Continental GT is tailored specifically to the modern luxury customer and can be customised to suit (which explains why the base price can go very high indeed).
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