Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible 2014 Review
Your brain wrestles with the concept of value when you get behind the wheel of a car that costs about the same as a small apartment, and in the case of the Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible, an apartment in a desirable upmarket suburb.
But value at this end of the scale is determined not by value for money, spec comparison, or resale, but by Bentley's heritage of meticulous engineering, first-class luxury and near-microscopic attention to detail. The GT Speed Convertible is the pinnacle of the Continental range, powered by an engine that's a distant cousin of the Bugatti Veyron portable power plant and outfitted with more care than a royal touring wardrobe.
VALUE
At this level, it's unlikely that the discussion about free floor mats will be entertained with anything but ironic fun. The GT Speed Convertible is a $495,000 offer before you add the $8000 Crystal Black paint (you can specify the $56,449 Prestige paint if you like the mood). The paint is deeper than the Indian Ocean and, as you'd expect, gorgeous.
The car is bursting with goodies. With keyless entry and start, you don't even need to make much effort to close the door - just hold it against the latch and the near-silent electric motor will drive it home. Inside is a beautiful handmade interior. The solid center console houses a large screen for satellite navigation, TV, digital and terrestrial radio, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, and vehicle information including ride height.
In our car, the seats are both heated and cooled ($1859), and an optional $2030 heater caresses your neck for top-down rides on a cold day. If you're feeling sore after a wild night on a private jet, the massage function that comes with ventilated seats can help ease the tension, if only a little.
Active dampers allow you to select one of five programs or simply press the "Sport" button. You can also increase the ground clearance for low speed maneuvers and speed bumps, the car will not forget to lower itself once you reach 80 km/h. The set is almost flawless. You can scoff at the A3 indicator stalks all you want, but you would only know where they came from if you were a) a cynical journalist who thinks people care about these things, or b) if one of the servants broke into source a vehicle and once gave you a ride somewhere.
The eight-speed automatic can be left to your liking in normal or sport mode, or you can work on shifting gears with exquisite matte black paddles or the wrong shifter from Audi. Stick with the paddles, they are nice to the touch and work great.
Design
The Bentley GT Convertible is a convertible version of the legendary Continental Coupe. The roof can be made in several fabrics, but this layered dark gray metallic ($4195 option) matches the deep black body color. In this price range, nothing but a glass rear window in the soft top just doesn't do, so it's also heated, of course.
With the top down, the proportions are of course elongated, and this is a high hip car. Rear seat passengers, while comfortably seated, sit deep in the sink. In front of the A-pillar, it's all Continental, so it's hard to tell from afar that you're in a convertible. It's a polarized design similar to its predecessor, so previous owners won't feel left out.
The inside is finished with basically everything you want. The materials are amazing, down to the rudimentary vent controls. The smell of the Bentley interior is almost intoxicating - the skin is soft and supple, everything feels beautiful to the touch.
SECURITY
The Continental is replete with safety features, as you would expect from the VW Group. Six airbags, ABS, traction and stability control, active cruise control, brake force distribution and rear view camera.
TECHNOLOGY
The 6.0-liter engine is configured in the VW Group's curious W configuration. Three rows of four cylinders—actually a V8 with four more cylinders attached to it—make a W. Two turbos are included. All this significant equipment produces a dizzying 460kW and 800Nm of torque.
The all-wheel drive system is another piece of VW's arsenal, and the ubiquitous ZF eight-speed transmission also handles massive power and torque loads. Under the body is an active damping system that can also raise or lower the height of the car by 25mm. There are five suspension settings available, but even the sportiest one won't put too much strain on the cabin.
DRIVING
Someone put a lot of thought into one tiny detail. Get in the car, let the doors close and press the starter button. A short buzz, as you would expect from a race car or aircraft. It is almost entirely unlikely that there is a technical reason for this, and if there was, Bentley engineers could silence it.
A buzzing sound makes it clear that the big 12-cylinder heart of this engine is about to come to life. He does it without theatrics and goes into a smooth idle. It's not the kind of car you'd expect from a particularly easy-to-drive car. All corners are high, so while you can see the front edges of the car, you can't see past them, especially on the sides.
But it's incredibly easy to manage. In traffic jams, when everything is set to Comfort, this is nonsense. You just need to step on the gas pedal and 800 Nm of torque will make everything move quietly and smoothly. Part of the gimmick of this car is that it looks huge, but it really isn't. You will never accuse him of being small, no, but he is not gigantic either.
The seats are incredibly comfortable and adjustable in all directions, as is the steering wheel. Getting comfortable is easy and you can set a memory for your position.
You press the button - buzzing, buzzing - and the W12 comes to life and is almost silent. You can drive anything - despite the low seating position and the convertible roof that knocks out a few units of visibility, the GTC is easy to move around, even with its giant wheels.
However, the real fun is throwing the hammer. In sport mode, the exhaust snarls angrily, the nose lifts a little, and you're blasting forward in a seemingly endless rush of power. The eight-speed transmission shifts gears smoothly - we've never found fault with this transmission, and we still can't at the Bentley - and there's little to no deceleration when moving forward.
The very presence of the GTC clears the way forward in true plutocratic express style. The question often arises, if the car weighed a few hundred pounds less, would you need a pilot's license - four-wheel drive would give you a good landing, and you would lure a few track day warriors into the bargain, because the car would be so fast.
Despite its weight of 2500 kg (45 kg of which is paint), the GTC handles beautifully. Even though it tends to understeer, you really need to demand a lot from the chassis to make it happen. Grip with huge 21" rims and 275/35 tires for incredible performance and road holding in all conditions.
With those big wheels, you expect a terrible ride, but some of the GTC's massive weight comes from the active air suspension. Not only is it capable of changing the ride height, but it also leans the car into corners, smoothing out the horrors of Sydney roads.
But the hustle and bustle feels a little wrong in the Continental, especially in the convertible. Sailing through the world around you, which is obviously closer to you when without a roof, is a pleasure in itself.
