AUTOMOTIVE
“ I had the pleasure of launching the original GT in 2003 in my first stint at Bentley , and being here for the launch of the latest generation – and the iterations that have followed – has been a source of great pride for me personally . It will continue to be the iconic backbone of the Bentley business for years to come , even as we transition to the world ’ s leading provider of sustainable luxury mobility .”
The platform beneath the car was upgraded to a Bentley design for the third generation , allowing a totally new stance , proportions and levels of dynamic ability that raised the bar again . Wrapped in a totally new bodywork design , with sharper lines and more flowing surfaces , the Continental GT remains a stylish and thoroughly contemporary grand tourer .
A statement of true luxury , the third generation Continental GT represents the pinnacle of Bentley ’ s two-door design and engineering achievements . Effortlessly elegant and more sculpted and sharply defined , the body and materials combine to create truly breath-taking cars .
With a choice of powertrains , one of the most extensive colour palettes in the world and with almost limitless interior options , unique configurations can run into billions of variations . Indeed , there are currently a total of 17 billion ways in which a customer can specify a Continental GT . Beyond that , through the services of Bentley Mulliner – Bentley ’ s in-house bespoke division – the only limitation is the imagination of the customer . Owning a Continental GT guarantees both individuality and exclusivity , despite being part of a family now 80,000 strong .
The 80,000th vehicle is an eye catching Continental GT V8 in Orange Flame , finished with the optional Blackline Specification and Styling Specification , both adding to the car ’ s presence and hinting at the GT ’ s performance credentials .
A Family Gathering to Celebrate
To mark the production milestone , Bentley drew on its heritage fleet to show the evolution and achievements of the Continental GT since 2003 .
Marking the car through its generations were :
• The very first production Continental GT , VIN 0001 , still a taxed-andtested car on Bentley ’ s fleet
• A Continental Supersports coupe , considered by many to be the pinnacle of the first generation GT family
• A second generation Continental GT V8 S coupe , finished in Jetstream
• From the current press fleet , a Dragon Red Continental GT Convertible
The Continental GT has also supported Bentley ’ s long tradition of racing and record breaking that started in the 1920s when the Bentley Boys set the pace at European circuits . In 1922 , John Duff drove his Bentley 3 Litre single handed for 24 hours , at an average speed of almost 87 mph at Brooklands to secure 39 Class D records . And in 1928 , another 3 Litre driven by Dudley Froy became the first car to achieve more than 115 mph over a distance of 100 miles at the same venue .
To mark recent achievements , the line-up was joined by some of the most exciting performance-focused Continental GTs :
• The first Ice Speed Record GT , driven by four-times World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen , which smashed the world ice speed record in 2007 , reaching an average speed of 199.86 mph ( 321.65 km / h ) on frozen sea off the coast of Finland .
• The first-generation Continental GT3 racecar , that returned Bentley to winning ways on the racetrack in 2014 and secured victories on tracks all around the world
• The 2019 Pikes Peak GT , which still holds the Production Class record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb . Driven by three-time champion Rhys Millen , the car took 8.4 seconds off the previous record along the 12.42-mile course , climbing 5,000 ft through 156 bends in just 10 minutes , 18.4 seconds .
• The 2020 Ice Race GT , which took part in the GP Ice Race at Zell Am See in February last year on the same weekend that the final member of the line-up – the latest-generation Continental GT3 – won the Bathurst 12 Hour in Australia .
After 18 years and three generations , the Continental GT is still the quintessential grand tourer – phenomenally powerful , beautifully designed and exquisitely crafted .
www . bentley . co . uk
Issue 46 2021 The Art of Luxury
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