40 september 2019 whichcar.com.au/motorHulking coupe gets twin-turbo V8bite
BENTLEY GT V8
IT’S ABOUT when you’re barrellinginto
the umpteenth super-tight downhill
left-hander that you start to ponder
who came up with this brilliant plan.
After all, throwing a couple of tonnes
of Bentley down a ropey California
backroad with more twists than a
Donald Trump policy speech doesn’t
seem like a natural fit.
But there we were, and it at least
reinforced the point that the big
coupe could do a very acceptable
impersonation of a performance car.
Bentley’s latest grand tourer, the GT
V8 in hardtop and convertible form, is,
despite its hair-raising price, the entry-
level car in the Conti range – the W12
is the flagship – and allegedly the more
sporty option.
This generation has seen some
significant changes, most notably a
tweaked chassis layout, with the front
axle moved forward and a less nose-
heavy weight distribution of 55:45.
Power comes from a massaged
Porsche Panamera active all-wheel-driveplatform, featuring a twin-turbo
4.0-litre V8 producing 404kW and a
hefty 770Nm, tied to an eight-speed
twin-clutch transmission.
The big girl runs the firm’s three-
chamber air suspension, in this case
complemented by the optional active
roll-bar set-up. That last feature would
be on my ‘must-have’ list, as it helped
maintain an incredibly flat attitude
pretty much regardless of what you
were doing at the controls.
Inside, there’s more than enough
leather to build several bovines, and
a general sense of peace and well-
being. Even the seat massage units
have several modes, naturally, while the
electronics cover pretty much anything
your little heart could desire.
One very cool on-board gadget is
the central infotainment display panel.
It’s a three-sided unit that rotates to
show either the screen, a blank timber
panel (or whatever finish you’ve
chosen) or three analogue gauges with
chrome surrounds. It changes facetsat the press of a button and is utterly
unnecessary, but you’d have to have it.
The convertible option adds
significant cost (about $30K) and
around 170kg. However, it’s well
thought out, providing good wind
protection with the roof down and
windows up, even for tall folk. Raise the
top and the cabin is remarkably quiet.
Sink the slipper in this thing and it
launches at the horizon at a staggering
rate. It’s seriously quick and fortunately
has the steering and suspension (with
the dynamic anti-roll system) to keep
it well under control. You can fine-tune
this with four modes: Comfort, Bentley,
Sport and a custom suite where you
set your own preferences. They work,
with the intermediate ‘Bentley’ option
being the pick.
With a distinctive growl, brutish
good looks, opulent interior and serious
performance, there is a whole lot to like
about this thing.BELOW
Beautiful interior of
leather and wood
is designed in such
exquisite detail that
it goes some way to
justifying the car’s
mighty price➜ENGINE 3996cc V8, DOHC, 32v, twin-turbo
POWER 404kW @ 5750rpm
TORQUE 770Nm @ 1960-4500rpm
0-100KM/H 4.0sec (claimed)
4.0 WEIGHT 2165kg • PRICE$400,000(est)Rating
LIKE: Fast; refined; handles
better than logic might suggest;
rotating infotainment panel
DISLIKE: Big price; jury still
out on whether it’s the more
sporting pick over W12M FRONTFRONT END.END.JUSTJUST LAUNCHEDLAUNCHED
BY • GUY ALLEN