tank (althoughofficialfigures aren’t availableyet).
Having said that, if you really want to drive
thenit’s a flick of the dial to Sport, and perhaps
a tug downwards on the gear selector lever to
force the eight-speed twin-clutch transmission
into manualmode.Our car has the DynamicRide
option,and once Sportis selected you can sense
its contributionto the lateral stiffness of the GT,
the ride staying just on the rightside of overly firm
but the bars’ actuationclearly supportingand
preventingan otherwise heavy bodyfrom lurching
and heaving in turns.With less weight over the nose
thanthe W12 the V8 is keenerto change direction,
and the rear-biased four-wheel-drive system
provides sterlingtraction withoutmakingthe car
feel inert. It’s not as visceral or perhaps as exciting
as an Aston MartinDB11,but the Conti scores on
beinga true grand tourer: demure for the long
haul,but capable and enjoyable on the twisty bit
towards the end of your journey. For combiningthis
breadth of ability, it is withoutequal.
Once you’re fully in sync withthe GT V8 you can
whiskit alongat surprisinglynaughty speeds whilst
makingthe smallest, finest corrections to the
wheel and inputs at the pedals,as thoughyou’re
Jackie Stewart in one of those old Ford promotional
films.Every millimetre has some effect, the GT
respondinglike a vehiclethatweighs a third less
thanit does. It’s a subtlesort of pleasure, but
is whatthose engineers in Crewe can do withthe
‘standard’ V8, the platform clearly has more than
enoughscope for a muchmore hardcore driver’s GT
variantbased on the eight-cylindercar. Those after
the highest top speed and most flamboyant trinkets
will always gravitate towards the W12 in the world
of Bentley Motors, but on the evidence of this first
drive, those interested in drivingfor enjoyment’s
sake shouldalways opt for the benteight.
AdamTowler(@AdamTowler)
it’s disarminglyappealinghow ruthlessly it can
pick apart a good road in spite of all the leather
and luxury beingcarried around.The gearbox is
particularlyadeptat resisting the temptationin
‘auto’ to change up early, letting the ampletorque
of the motor do the work, whichis very satisfying.
There’s real thunderto the exhaust in Sport, too,
and the thudsand occasionalcracks on the overrun
are randomenoughto not be irritating.
Two things seem clear to me. Firstly, this is, by
some considerable margin, the best and most
likeable Bentley I’ve ever driven. And secondly, if this
EngineV8, 3993cc, twin-turboPower542bhp @ 6000rpmTorque568lb ft @ 1960rpmWeight2165kg (254bhp/ton)0-62mph4.0secTop speed198mphBasic Price£148,800+Great blend of performance and luxury; better than the W12
- Heavy; still a relatively distant character
evorating
;;;;4Above:full digital instruments mimic analogue Bentley
dials of old, but blend in modern functionality.Above
right:GT belies its considerable weight with a keenness
to change direction thanks to its lighter engine
Driven
‘Forcombiningsuch
breadthofability,the
ContinentalGT V8 is
withoutequal’