Comfort meets class: Bentley’s newest cutting-edge Continental GT offers a hidden world of delights
Deemed as the most sought-after luxury car brand in the world, Bentley has launched the new stylish, yet comfortably fast, Continental GT.
The British engineered third-generation model has arrived in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan with its sights set on South-East Asia, offering motoring aficionados detailed luxury with cutting-edge technology.
The Continental GT is the European brand’s first entirely new model in 15 years – falling just a year short of the brand becoming a centenarian.
The handcrafted masterpiece is touted as being the finest Grand Tourer ever produced as it marries refined artistry with superb performance, encompassing everything the heritage manufacturer represents.
The Continental GT, which was first unveiled last year, features an enhanced 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 TSI engine premiering a dual-clutch, eight-speed transmission allowing efficient gear changes. The advanced technology cushions passengers from excessive movement, creating ultimate comfort in the luxurious cabin boasting a "diamond in diamond" leather quilt design.
With the engine tucked further back than in previous models, weight distribution is improved to create an effortless experience and dynamic performance.
"The Bentley Continental GT is a model that we are immensely proud of and since the first-generation model was launched in 2003, it has become our most successful model in history," – Sarah Simpson
The extraordinary design "has managed to achieve a combination of tradition and the modern zeitgeist", according to Andrea Lipp-Allrutz, professor of transportation interior design at Reutlingen University, Germany. The longer model boasts an extended bonnet and lowered nose while the ‘power lines’ travel from the headlights to the rear haunches.
A world of hidden delights floods the cabin, with natural leathers, rare and sustainably sourced veneers, pillow knurling to create a softer feel to controls, and a revolving 12.3-inch touch screen blossoming from the veneer.
Complete with a choice of 17 paint colours, 15 leather colours and eight different veneers, the latest model is rich in space with improved luggage capacity for "real-word usability" and exquisite luxury.
The award-winning model has been named the best Exterior Premium Brand and the best Interior at the prestigious German Design Awards.
Bentley Director of Design Stefan Sielaff says the prestigious design awards portray the quality of the brand which was "based on a bold new vision that is still unmistakably Bentley".
Despite being renowned for its luxe comfort instead of speed, the GT jets to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds making light work of its hefty 2,715-kilogram weight.
Bentley Motors Regional Director of UK and Asia Pacific Sarah Simpson says the 99-year-old company is justifiably proud of its latest model.
"The Bentley Continental GT is a model that we are immensely proud of and since the first-generation model was launched in 2003, it has become our most successful model in history," Simpson says.
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