It’s got flash and dash, but is it worth the cash?
“If you’re a big dog, you have one of these in your garage. If not, you ain’t no big dog.”
Those were the immortal words of rap producer extraordinaire Jermaine Dupri on MTV’s “Cribs” television show while pointing at his Bentley. That episode aired in the early 2000s and not much has changed since then, either with Dupri, or the Bentley Continental GT. New boss, same as the old boss.
The big “B,” Bentley is still a big deal. People still stop and say how beautiful it is, still crane their necks to see and still hold up traffic if one is coming up behind. The styling is an antique in car years. The second generation of the GT and GTC began in 2011, but you’d need a jeweler’s loupe to tell the difference from the first. Sure, the smile might be a little different, the wheels changed and there’s maybe a new color combination or two, but that’s about as far as it goes — at least on the outside. And as much as I love new-new-new, I’m good with it, because the GT and GTC still look like they could’ve been designed today. That cannot be denied, whether you’re personally sick of it or not. Sales were also up more than 10 percent in 2015, so the company must be doing something right.
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That something? I’m going to say it’s the engine. Yes, this Bentley is down four cylinders on some of the monsters of the past, but its new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 might just make you forget that heavy, VW-sourced W12 lump. In this car, the V8 it makes 521 hp at 6,000 rpm along with 502 lb-ft of rubber-spinning torque, low in the rev range.
In the Bentley Continental GT Convertible, the V8 makes 521 hp at 6,000 rpm along with 502 lb-ft of rubber-spinning torque, low in the rev range.
In sport mode, which is where we left it most of the weekend, the drop top takes of quickly, but smoothly. It’s not hard to send 500 ponies to all four corners, but it is hard to keep them from snapping your head back on launch every time. In the GTC, though, put your foot about halfway down and this car revs up for split second before it shoves you off, gaining speed aggressively as the revs climb. Shifts from the paddle-controlled eight-speed are just noticeable but the sound, the sound is what makes this land-speed yacht enjoyable.
It doesn’t feel frenetic or twitchy at speed, more like a rocket-powered anvil with wheels. The engine note is a mix of Mercedes bass with a hint of Aston V12 and muted pops from the dual exhaust. The GTC blows over most road imperfections without any impact on the driver besides a little noise, and even the harmonic bumps are mostly absorbed from the captain’s chair.
The steering wheel effort is heavy, making you feel every ounce of this 5,445-pound hunk of engineering. The ratio is about right for me, but idling around a busy parking lot, or parking the car becomes a bit of a chore. And, God forbid, if the space is a little small, you’ll be backing out, backing in, backing out, in and so on. I could parallel park my 20-foot
As for piloting a convertible in the cold, this all-wheel driver with winter tires was unaffected. I didn’t see much of the slippery stuff, but it was cold. The thick top seemed to keep all of that iciness out and all of the cabin warmth in. The V8 warms up quickly, as do the heated seats — unfortunately though, no heated steering wheel. I’m no complainer, but at $ 264,000, my mitts should be warm.
In the Bentley Continental GT Convertible, the V8 makes 521 hp at 6,000 rpm along with 502 lb-ft of rubber-spinning torque, low in the rev range.
And that’s where this car really falls short: the technologies of today. It doesn’t have a simple USB port to connect your phone, again, no heated steering wheel, and none of the basic lane-departure warnings, forward-collision warnings and active braking, which now appear on Honda Civics and Toyota Camrys.
That’s not to say the interior isn’t a nice place to be. The seats are comfy, are fully adjustable and have a massage function. The vent controls are chrome organ pulls and everything else seemed to work well and was within reach. It’s also extremely quiet for a convertible as far as road and wind noise go. Not much room in the backseat though, in case you were wondering.
My problem with the big “B” these days isn’t that it doesn’t look, sound or cost the part. I think it does. But with competitors like the brand-new Mercedes S-Class coupe nipping at its heels in luxury, and cheaper cars chasing it down with new tech, I just don’t know if it can compete without a revamp.
Trading on your name is one thing. And it’s true; you can’t be a baller without at least one Bentley in your garage. But if the engine is the standout feature and you, the buyer, aren’t concerned with that, then what are you left with? A convertible Bentley without a lot of features that could either be from 2006 or 2016. And that’s not very baller at all.
In the Bentley Continental GT Convertible, the V8 makes 521 hp at 6,000 rpm along with 502 lb-ft of rubber-spinning torque, low in the rev range.
Options: Naim for Bentley ($ 7,595); main paint ($ 5,715); hand stitching ($ 3,755); sport exhaust ($ 2,580); dark tint front and rear lamps ($ 1,805); WiFi hotspot-3G enabled ($ 1,130); neck warmer ($ 1,080); ventilated front seats with massage function ($ 1,070); gas guzzler ($ 1,000); embroidered Bentley emblems ($ 670); drilled alloy sports foot pedals ($ 585); wind deflector ($ 565); boot carpet ($ 565); sports dual tone, three spoke, hide trimmed steering wheel ($ 455); deep pile overmats to front and rear ($ 425); jewel fuel and oil filler caps ($ 305); hand stitching to steering wheel in contrasting color ($ 210); sim card reader with Google POI fitted ($ 160)
