Continental GT [Spy Shots] New Generation Bentley Continental GT
- Thread starter sako97
- Start date
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- bentley continental gt
D
Deleted member 1071
The upcoming new Conti GT/GTC series and Flying Spur leave me expecting something quite monumental. Disregarding the enticing lunacy aka Bugatti Chiron, these cars promise to be the absolute VAG halo cars.
tristatez28lt1
Tire Trailblazer
Judging by that Autobild review the car is very very good. Having talked to people who have seen the car it is immensely impressive. Bentley seems to be shaping up.
tristatez28lt1
Tire Trailblazer
FAHRBERICHT BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT (2017)
Luxus-Coupé auf Erprobungsfahrt
Agilität des GT: Obwohl durch die neue Architektur nur etwa 200 Kilogramm der beträchtlichen Masse des Vorgängers eingespart werden kann, überraschen das unbeschwerte Einlenkverhalten und die hohe Stabilität selbst bei beträchtlicher Querbeschleunigung. Die Gründe: Der steifere Rohbau und die elektromechanische Wankstabilisierung.
3. Der radikale Technikwandel: Statt eines Torsen-Differenzials nutzt der Allradantrieb nun eine elektronisch gesteuerte Lamellenkupplung. Dadurch lässt sich die Kraft variabler verteilen, was speziell am Kurvenausgang eine deutlich bessere Traktion bringt. Und statt eines Wandlerautomaten kommt nun das Achtgang-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe aus dem Porsche Panamera zum Einsatz.
4. Das Bekenntnis zum Zwölfzylinder-Motor: Die Leistung von über 600 PS lässt sich sicher NEFZ-freundlicher realisieren als mit dem Sechsliter-W12-Aggregat. Doch ein 12-Zylinder gehöre zur Marke, beteuert Bentley. Und verblüfft selbst in den Prototypen mit seiner Kultiviertheit, die sich selbst der britische Adel zum Vorbild nehmen kann. Ach so: Jetzt, wie schon im Bentayga, mit Zylinderabschaltung. Soll den Realverbrauch um sieben Prozent reduzieren.
Marke gehört. Ist aber einfach nur günstiger.
6. Der größere Innenraum: Obwohl auf den beiden Rücksitzen die gesamten Tarnmatten des Cockpits lagen, wirkt der Innenraum deutlich großzügiger. „Wir haben jetzt 57 Millimeter mehr Beinfreiheit hinten“, weiß Paul Williams, obwohl er eigentlich für den Antrieb verantwortlich ist.
7. Überhaupt der Komfort: Ja, der Zuwachs an Dynamik ist spürbar. Aber auch der Fahrkomfort erscheint standesgemäß. Speziell im Komfort-Modus verputzt der luftgefederte und adaptivgedämpfte Continental so ziemlich alle fiesen Bodenwellen Lapplands ohne dabei störend nachzuschwingen. Die etwas zu ausgeprägten Hubbewegungen an der Hinterachse haben die Ingenieure bereits registriert und wollen sie eliminieren.
10. Die Detailverliebtheit: Beim Start taucht auf dem Bordmonitor ein Auto auf. In der Serie ein Conti GT, na klar. Und jetzt? Ein altes Modell? Ein Bentayga? Ein Audi? Nein. Der neue Continental GT. Getarnt.
Fazit
Dass sich der neue Continental GT anders, viel agiler fahren lässt, war zu erwarten – immerhin teilt er sich die Architektur mit dem Porsche Panamera. Doch er bleibt zugleich ein Bentley, vermittelt Gelassenheit, Souveränität, zudem die Exklusivität eines Zwölfzylinder-Motors. Eine weitere, schöne Erkenntnis dieses Ausflugs mit Prototypen: Autos plumpsen noch immer nicht fertig entwickelt aus dem Computer. Ihre Perfektion erlangen sie erst durch die Arbeit erfahrener Ingenieure, die Autos lieben und leben. Gilt sicher nicht nur für Bentley.
Fahrbericht Bentley Continental GT (2017): Luxus-Coupé auf Erprobungsfahrt
Luxus-Coupé auf Erprobungsfahrt
Agilität des GT: Obwohl durch die neue Architektur nur etwa 200 Kilogramm der beträchtlichen Masse des Vorgängers eingespart werden kann, überraschen das unbeschwerte Einlenkverhalten und die hohe Stabilität selbst bei beträchtlicher Querbeschleunigung. Die Gründe: Der steifere Rohbau und die elektromechanische Wankstabilisierung.
3. Der radikale Technikwandel: Statt eines Torsen-Differenzials nutzt der Allradantrieb nun eine elektronisch gesteuerte Lamellenkupplung. Dadurch lässt sich die Kraft variabler verteilen, was speziell am Kurvenausgang eine deutlich bessere Traktion bringt. Und statt eines Wandlerautomaten kommt nun das Achtgang-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe aus dem Porsche Panamera zum Einsatz.
4. Das Bekenntnis zum Zwölfzylinder-Motor: Die Leistung von über 600 PS lässt sich sicher NEFZ-freundlicher realisieren als mit dem Sechsliter-W12-Aggregat. Doch ein 12-Zylinder gehöre zur Marke, beteuert Bentley. Und verblüfft selbst in den Prototypen mit seiner Kultiviertheit, die sich selbst der britische Adel zum Vorbild nehmen kann. Ach so: Jetzt, wie schon im Bentayga, mit Zylinderabschaltung. Soll den Realverbrauch um sieben Prozent reduzieren.
Marke gehört. Ist aber einfach nur günstiger.
6. Der größere Innenraum: Obwohl auf den beiden Rücksitzen die gesamten Tarnmatten des Cockpits lagen, wirkt der Innenraum deutlich großzügiger. „Wir haben jetzt 57 Millimeter mehr Beinfreiheit hinten“, weiß Paul Williams, obwohl er eigentlich für den Antrieb verantwortlich ist.
7. Überhaupt der Komfort: Ja, der Zuwachs an Dynamik ist spürbar. Aber auch der Fahrkomfort erscheint standesgemäß. Speziell im Komfort-Modus verputzt der luftgefederte und adaptivgedämpfte Continental so ziemlich alle fiesen Bodenwellen Lapplands ohne dabei störend nachzuschwingen. Die etwas zu ausgeprägten Hubbewegungen an der Hinterachse haben die Ingenieure bereits registriert und wollen sie eliminieren.
10. Die Detailverliebtheit: Beim Start taucht auf dem Bordmonitor ein Auto auf. In der Serie ein Conti GT, na klar. Und jetzt? Ein altes Modell? Ein Bentayga? Ein Audi? Nein. Der neue Continental GT. Getarnt.
Fazit
Dass sich der neue Continental GT anders, viel agiler fahren lässt, war zu erwarten – immerhin teilt er sich die Architektur mit dem Porsche Panamera. Doch er bleibt zugleich ein Bentley, vermittelt Gelassenheit, Souveränität, zudem die Exklusivität eines Zwölfzylinder-Motors. Eine weitere, schöne Erkenntnis dieses Ausflugs mit Prototypen: Autos plumpsen noch immer nicht fertig entwickelt aus dem Computer. Ihre Perfektion erlangen sie erst durch die Arbeit erfahrener Ingenieure, die Autos lieben und leben. Gilt sicher nicht nur für Bentley.
Fahrbericht Bentley Continental GT (2017): Luxus-Coupé auf Erprobungsfahrt
tristatez28lt1
Tire Trailblazer
2018 Bentley Continental GT
An all-new Conti built on Porsche bones.
Drifting on packed snow with the throttle nailed and the tail cocked full hooligan is questionable behavior in a $200,000-plus Bentley Continental GT Speed—especially when it’s a prototype only two-thirds of the way through its final development schedule. But such activity, plus three encounters with roving reindeer herds, is par for the course when you’re embedded with Bentley’s top engineers wrapping up their winter test routines near the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland.
Full disclosure: This report deviates from our first-drive review norms. While we did drive a camouflaged third-generation Continental GT, scheduled to appear in final form at this fall’s Frankfurt auto show, for every minute in the driver’s seat we experienced an hour as a passenger. Compensation came in the form of unrestricted dialogue with three of Bentley’s top engineers: head of quality Jürgen Kern, powertrain chief Paul Williams, and whole-vehicle engineering director Cameron Paterson.
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Bentley’s supercoupe is essentially an eleven-tenths-scale, five-times-as-expensive, 200-mph Britain-built Chevrolet Camaro SS. Other than clinically jaded journalists, no one really needs such a car, though there are scores of lucky souls who want them: captains of industry, stock-market manipulators, oil sheiks, and pro athletes, for instance.
This is some of the grandest touring that a very large heap of money will buy. While exceeding the GT’s previous blend of speed, poise, and luxury sounds like a film entitled Mission: Unlikely, that’s exactly what the third-generation 2018 model is engineered to do.
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Shifting to the Porsche platform makes the Continental GT a kissing cousin to the new Panamera, but Paterson is quick to note that Bentley’s core virtues—superb performance combined with sublime comfort and luxury—distinguish this touring coupe from Porsche’s four-door flagship.
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Given the combined 680 horsepower Porsche packs into the 2018 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, I asked powertrain engineer Williams why he favors pistons over electrons. He’s convinced there’s another decade of life left in the twin-turbo W-12 that Bentley builds at its Crewe, England, factory, largely because it’s so steeped in advanced technology.
“This 12-cylinder has a creamy sound perfectly in tune with the Bentley character,” he said. “The W configuration is substantially shorter than a V-12, so we’re able to mount the engine rearward without consuming cabin space. But it’s the wealth of special features we’ve engineered into this engine that will keep it viable for years to come.”
That list includes both direct and port fuel injection, variable intake and exhaust valve timing, and dual-scroll Bosch-Mahle turbochargers. To improve cruising mileage, the passenger-side bank of six cylinders shuts down on cue. A blanket of acoustic foam surrounding the fuel pumps and injectors hushes noise radiating from this praiseworthy powerhouse.
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Engineer Paterson is especially proud of the muffler valves, which transition seamlessly between loud and soft modes without initiating booming or wailing sounds. “We use no contrived or artificial sounds in the GT,” he added, “so what you hear during full-throttle acceleration are the natural baritone notes produced by our W-12. Our goal is to combine a soothing, serene environment for long cruises with a powerful and entertaining spirit when the driver chooses to celebrate the sporty side of his GT’s character.”
The exhaust tuning was far from complete in the two prototypes we rode in, and snow-packed, speed-limited roads offered no opportunity to exploit the 12 cylinders plus two turbos’ worth of power at our disposal. That said, we can vouch for the quiet part of the Conti GT’s personality. During cruising, the only sound was the muted crunch of Pirelli winter tires scrabbling for grip. Even that noise will be diminished, according to Paterson, because of the foam inserts that will blanket the inside of each tire carcass once production begins.
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Paterson and Williams both took note of a few improprieties remaining in the new dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission. Refinement is harder to achieve with no torque converter to soothe launches, and in spite of the 100 messages per second flowing between the engine and transmission on a dedicated communications link, an occasional lurch or clunk spoils the driveline bliss, typically during the first-to-second-gear upshift.
Since he’s responsible for every aspect of quality, we asked Paterson how he defines that oft quoted word in the Bentley context. His answer made it clear that we weren’t the first to ask that question. “We divide quality into three distinct categories. The first, geometric quality, is the perfect fit of adjoining components inside and out of the car. Next, and of equal importance, is functional quality; assuring that every feature in the vehicle—from the twist of a control knob to the action of the transmission shifter—works exactly as you’d expect it to. Emotional quality, the third and arguably most important category, is what separates any Bentley from every other automobile. This is the blend of agility, sporting performance, and class-leading refinement we discussed earlier. Bentleys are cars you don’t necessarily need but want because of the distinctive feeling they impart during driving.” The beauty of these thumbnail explanations of subtle concepts such as quality is that they’re handy for explaining the brand’s character traits, nurtured for decades, to outsiders and newcomers.
Paterson adds that perfecting function is why his team is living with these prototypes. Pointing out the receptacle notched into both sides of the center console, he explained that they were added as a convenient spot for cellphones. “Unfortunately, the bottom of the pocket was sloped in such a way that, during hard acceleration, phones were launched into the back seat,” he said. “While we all agree that these receptacles are excellent features, their shape will change in the next generation of prototypes to hone their function.”
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Wheeling on Ice
Out in the middle of a frozen lake located a few miles south of the Arctic Circle, we finally have the opportunity to take the pulse of the new Continental GT from the driver’s seat. A few laps with all safety systems active convince us that this edition is indeed far more agile and responsive than the car it replaces. Twisting what the Bentley boys call the “charisma” control (it’s a driving-mode knob) to the Sport setting allows more entertaining drift angles. Co-driver Paterson goads us to flatten the accelerator while dialing in the appropriate countersteer to hold an arc at the outer edge of the packed 1000-foot-diameter circle. The key is to minimize steering inputs so that the stability system understands exactly where you want to go. What surprises are the steering’s speed, reasonable effort, and the tangible feedback it provides even on this slippery surface. Very Porsche-like, we tell our host, a compliment he accepts in stride.
With stability control clicked off, the drift task is more challenging but still at the driver’s disposal. Unfortunately, before we make friends with this facet of the Conti GT’s feisty personality, one of the 100 onboard electronic controllers calls a halt and terminates the fun. Engineering analysis reveals that the rear differential may be overheating, even though the ambient temperature is below freezing. Various fixes have been devised, but installing them will have to wait for the next generation of prototypes.
Exposure to a three-quarters-baked prototype is an experience we seldom enjoy—for obvious reasons. Makers always strive to showcase perfect products in ideal circumstances, and this trip to Lapland was anything but that. The best part was learning how serious Bentley is about building a GT coupe that’s a quantum leap over not only the competition but also the company’s past achievements. Now that we’ve had our share of turning left flat out on an ice rink, we can’t wait to light off Bentley’s bolide on dry pavement.
2018 Bentley Continental GT - Prototype Drive
An all-new Conti built on Porsche bones.
Drifting on packed snow with the throttle nailed and the tail cocked full hooligan is questionable behavior in a $200,000-plus Bentley Continental GT Speed—especially when it’s a prototype only two-thirds of the way through its final development schedule. But such activity, plus three encounters with roving reindeer herds, is par for the course when you’re embedded with Bentley’s top engineers wrapping up their winter test routines near the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland.
Full disclosure: This report deviates from our first-drive review norms. While we did drive a camouflaged third-generation Continental GT, scheduled to appear in final form at this fall’s Frankfurt auto show, for every minute in the driver’s seat we experienced an hour as a passenger. Compensation came in the form of unrestricted dialogue with three of Bentley’s top engineers: head of quality Jürgen Kern, powertrain chief Paul Williams, and whole-vehicle engineering director Cameron Paterson.
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Bentley’s supercoupe is essentially an eleven-tenths-scale, five-times-as-expensive, 200-mph Britain-built Chevrolet Camaro SS. Other than clinically jaded journalists, no one really needs such a car, though there are scores of lucky souls who want them: captains of industry, stock-market manipulators, oil sheiks, and pro athletes, for instance.
This is some of the grandest touring that a very large heap of money will buy. While exceeding the GT’s previous blend of speed, poise, and luxury sounds like a film entitled Mission: Unlikely, that’s exactly what the third-generation 2018 model is engineered to do.
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Shifting to the Porsche platform makes the Continental GT a kissing cousin to the new Panamera, but Paterson is quick to note that Bentley’s core virtues—superb performance combined with sublime comfort and luxury—distinguish this touring coupe from Porsche’s four-door flagship.
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Given the combined 680 horsepower Porsche packs into the 2018 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, I asked powertrain engineer Williams why he favors pistons over electrons. He’s convinced there’s another decade of life left in the twin-turbo W-12 that Bentley builds at its Crewe, England, factory, largely because it’s so steeped in advanced technology.
“This 12-cylinder has a creamy sound perfectly in tune with the Bentley character,” he said. “The W configuration is substantially shorter than a V-12, so we’re able to mount the engine rearward without consuming cabin space. But it’s the wealth of special features we’ve engineered into this engine that will keep it viable for years to come.”
That list includes both direct and port fuel injection, variable intake and exhaust valve timing, and dual-scroll Bosch-Mahle turbochargers. To improve cruising mileage, the passenger-side bank of six cylinders shuts down on cue. A blanket of acoustic foam surrounding the fuel pumps and injectors hushes noise radiating from this praiseworthy powerhouse.
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Engineer Paterson is especially proud of the muffler valves, which transition seamlessly between loud and soft modes without initiating booming or wailing sounds. “We use no contrived or artificial sounds in the GT,” he added, “so what you hear during full-throttle acceleration are the natural baritone notes produced by our W-12. Our goal is to combine a soothing, serene environment for long cruises with a powerful and entertaining spirit when the driver chooses to celebrate the sporty side of his GT’s character.”
The exhaust tuning was far from complete in the two prototypes we rode in, and snow-packed, speed-limited roads offered no opportunity to exploit the 12 cylinders plus two turbos’ worth of power at our disposal. That said, we can vouch for the quiet part of the Conti GT’s personality. During cruising, the only sound was the muted crunch of Pirelli winter tires scrabbling for grip. Even that noise will be diminished, according to Paterson, because of the foam inserts that will blanket the inside of each tire carcass once production begins.
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Paterson and Williams both took note of a few improprieties remaining in the new dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission. Refinement is harder to achieve with no torque converter to soothe launches, and in spite of the 100 messages per second flowing between the engine and transmission on a dedicated communications link, an occasional lurch or clunk spoils the driveline bliss, typically during the first-to-second-gear upshift.
Since he’s responsible for every aspect of quality, we asked Paterson how he defines that oft quoted word in the Bentley context. His answer made it clear that we weren’t the first to ask that question. “We divide quality into three distinct categories. The first, geometric quality, is the perfect fit of adjoining components inside and out of the car. Next, and of equal importance, is functional quality; assuring that every feature in the vehicle—from the twist of a control knob to the action of the transmission shifter—works exactly as you’d expect it to. Emotional quality, the third and arguably most important category, is what separates any Bentley from every other automobile. This is the blend of agility, sporting performance, and class-leading refinement we discussed earlier. Bentleys are cars you don’t necessarily need but want because of the distinctive feeling they impart during driving.” The beauty of these thumbnail explanations of subtle concepts such as quality is that they’re handy for explaining the brand’s character traits, nurtured for decades, to outsiders and newcomers.
Paterson adds that perfecting function is why his team is living with these prototypes. Pointing out the receptacle notched into both sides of the center console, he explained that they were added as a convenient spot for cellphones. “Unfortunately, the bottom of the pocket was sloped in such a way that, during hard acceleration, phones were launched into the back seat,” he said. “While we all agree that these receptacles are excellent features, their shape will change in the next generation of prototypes to hone their function.”
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
VIEW 32 PHOTOS
Wheeling on Ice
Out in the middle of a frozen lake located a few miles south of the Arctic Circle, we finally have the opportunity to take the pulse of the new Continental GT from the driver’s seat. A few laps with all safety systems active convince us that this edition is indeed far more agile and responsive than the car it replaces. Twisting what the Bentley boys call the “charisma” control (it’s a driving-mode knob) to the Sport setting allows more entertaining drift angles. Co-driver Paterson goads us to flatten the accelerator while dialing in the appropriate countersteer to hold an arc at the outer edge of the packed 1000-foot-diameter circle. The key is to minimize steering inputs so that the stability system understands exactly where you want to go. What surprises are the steering’s speed, reasonable effort, and the tangible feedback it provides even on this slippery surface. Very Porsche-like, we tell our host, a compliment he accepts in stride.
With stability control clicked off, the drift task is more challenging but still at the driver’s disposal. Unfortunately, before we make friends with this facet of the Conti GT’s feisty personality, one of the 100 onboard electronic controllers calls a halt and terminates the fun. Engineering analysis reveals that the rear differential may be overheating, even though the ambient temperature is below freezing. Various fixes have been devised, but installing them will have to wait for the next generation of prototypes.
Exposure to a three-quarters-baked prototype is an experience we seldom enjoy—for obvious reasons. Makers always strive to showcase perfect products in ideal circumstances, and this trip to Lapland was anything but that. The best part was learning how serious Bentley is about building a GT coupe that’s a quantum leap over not only the competition but also the company’s past achievements. Now that we’ve had our share of turning left flat out on an ice rink, we can’t wait to light off Bentley’s bolide on dry pavement.
2018 Bentley Continental GT - Prototype Drive
D
Deleted member 1071
On the verge of witnessing something truly epic.
sako97
Autotechnik Ace
928*
A friend of mine recently saw it at a dealer preview/training and said it's gorgeous inside-out.
SCOTT27
Drift Dynamo
Yes.
tristatez28lt1
Tire Trailblazer
slicknick
Driving Dynamics Pro
Though I've never been a fan of Bentley's (and I still am not), strangely looking forward to this car...The IAA really cannot come soon enough
hoffmeister_fan
Kraftwagen König
It looks very promising indeed
Or to put it another way, it's still almost four weeks until the first press day.
klier
Premium
It's going to be an awesome year for IAA.
Will we do a germancarforum.com meetup? Would be nice bros!
Similar threads
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer,
and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe,
England, the company was founded by W. O. Bentley (1888-1971)
in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London, and became widely known
for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929
and 1930. Bentley has been a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group
since 1998 and consolidated under VW's premium brand arm Audi
in 2022.
Official website: Bentley Motors
Official website: Bentley Motors
