Continental takes on the world

FOLLOWING the launch of the GT coupe last year, the new Continental GTC builds on the earlier cabriolet.
The designers and engineers at Bentley have pulled out all the stops to improve almost every aspect of the iconic convertible.
The first GTC was elegant and understated, while the new version has a more contemporary and muscular presence.
Advanced techniques create aluminium front wings without the need for seams or welds given the impression of a coachbuilt car. Twenty-inch wheels are standard with three styles of 21-inch wheel available as an option for the first time.
The four-seater luxury convertible is now even more spacious and sumptuous with soft-touch leather hides, an extensive range of wood veneers, cool-touch metals and deep-pile carpets in a variety of available combinations. The tailored, multi-layered fabric hood is complemented by acoustic glass and under-body panels, for optimum noise isolation.
Customers of the earlier model valued its everyday practicality and this has been enhanced further. There is now greater rear legroom, more storage and superb touches such as a touch screen infotainment centre, automatic seat belt presenters and a neck warmer to ensure that top down motoring remains comfortable even if temperatures fall.
A wider track, front and rear, sharper steering and retuned suspension provide a more exhilarating and class-leading drive. Bentley’s advanced all-wheel drive system features a new 40:60 rear torque bias (compared with 50:50 of the original GTC) minimising understeer during hard cornering and allowing the spirited driver to manage the car’s line and balance via precise throttle control.
This dynamic package is driven by a more powerful 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine as well as a new QuickShift transmission which gives quicker gear changes. Power output is raised from 560PS to 575PS (567bhp/423kW) and the famed Bentley ‘wave of torque’ has been increased by a further 50Nm to 700Nm (516lb ft).