2007 Bentley Continental GT
Friday, December 29th, 2006
The 2007 Bentley Continental GT is a departure for this conservative British vehicle of incredibly rare and luxurious vehicles. It brings to light an entirely new look with some hints that the old Bentleys, uses completely different technology than traditional models and focuses on the younger buyers with a six-figure price tag that’s almost half that of other Bentleys.
A limited-production Diamond Series has been added for 2006. Only 400 will be made in commemoration of 60 years of production at the company’s Crewe, England, facility. The Diamond Series is based on the 2007 model-year Continental GT Mulliner Driving Specification, which differs from the standard Continental GT mainly in interior trim it features diamond-quilted leather on doors and seats, drilled alloy pedals, a leather-and-chrome transmission lever and dark-stained walnut or piano-black wood trim.
The Continental GT is the first Bentley to use a compact 6.0-liter W12 engine and all-wheel drive instead of traditional V8s or V12s and rear-wheel drive. The innovative engine and AWD system were developed by Bentley but are based on technology originally created by Volkswagen, which has owned Bentley since 1998.
The 552-hp twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 is basically two V6 engines attached side by side. It’s more compact than a traditional V12 which is typically longer by comparison, with two banks of six cylinders each, rather than four banks of three cylinders and allows for more efficient packaging and a larger interior. One feature that comes as a result of the efficient layout is the Continental GT’s rear-seat trunk pass-through. It allows skis and other long, narrow objects to be carried in the trunk.
Bentley heralds the Continental GT as a modern evolution of classic Bentley coupes such as the 1928 Speed Six and 1950 R-Type Continental with a new look that retains some traditional styling cues. These include flowing lines over the wheel arches, the prominent mesh grille, a pillar-less side-window area and four round headlights, with the inner two larger than the outer two.
With supercar performance and handing, limousine-like luxury and four seats, the Continental GT is a well-rounded alternative to similarly priced hard-core exotic sports cars from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Maserati. Its standard six-speed Tiptronic automatic is convenient and can be shifted manually using paddles behind the steering wheel or the gearshift lever between the front seats.
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