What's this, then?
A mid-life freshen-up for the Bentley Continental GT, a visual nip/tuck that starts at the front bumper and finishes at the rear spoiler and does, well, not that much in between.
Really?
Really. As facelifts go, this is one of the more minor. The front bumper has been chiselled, there are new B-for-Bentley vents on the front flanks, three new colours, more leather choices, and knurled gearlever paddles.
Need more excitement? Well, wi-fi is now standard, there are new fonts for the dials and a reshaped steering wheel.
What about more power?
Oh yes, a bit of that too, but you're not going to feel a gain of 15bhp when the W12 was already developing 567 of the suckers. That's a 2.6 per cent power hike. Whoop.
The other engines remain where they were - the entry-level V8 has 500bhp, the uprated V8 S 521bhp, and the flagship W12 Speed sticks on 626bhp. Oodles. No, the big news as far as engines go isn't the power, but the economy. The W12 joins the V8 in having a cylinder shut-off system. No mean feat, you'd imagine, given that it has four banks of cylinders...
Does that actually save any fuel?
Apparently so. Due to the engine's massive torque, Bentley claims the 6.0-litre W12 can actually run as a 3.0-litre V6 quite a bit of the time. The official economy figure for the standard 6.0 has risen from 19.5 to 20.1mpg, but privately Bentley believes the real world gains could be as much as 20 per cent.
When I've driven Contis before they've always done about 15-16mpg, but this one was reading 18.4, so maybe there's some truth in it.
Hardly economical, though.
No, but then if you can afford upwards of £140,300 (yep, that's the base price now, the W12 Speed sits at 168,300, having gone up £11,600 from last year), you'll be more concerned about how often you're stopping for fuel rather than how much it's costing you. The 20-gallon tank should mean you'll get at least 350 miles between glugs.
Does the Conti feel different as a result of these changes?
Not really, although it does look a bit sharper. Personally, although the front end is now more defined, I think the extra scoops low down are too reminiscent of an Audi RS.
Inside is good, too, with new straight fluting available for the seats (diamond pattern is still the way forward if you ask me), Alcantara headlining, LED illumination and updated brightwork. Detail changes, but this is probably all the Conti needs.
How so?
Because this is Bentley's Porsche 911, the car that defines the brand to such an extent they can't afford to tamper with it too much. Also, name me a car that truly, genuinely does what this one does - a real luxury GT. Not a Maserati GranTurismo, nor a Porsche 911 - too cramped and sporty. BMW 6-Series? Far too common. Rolls-Royce Wraith? Too stately and you're into parts-of-a-million pricing. The only thing I came up with is the new Merc S-Class Coupe. That's a lovely car, and really the only rival I'd drive if I was considering a Conti GT, but it doesn't have the same sense of imperious progress and craftsmanship. Bentley knows its audience for this car so accurately that I'd swear each car is orientated to a specific buyer.
What do you mean?
If you're young, have a V8, if you're old, a W12 and if you like to gad about in the spirit of a Bentley Boy, have one with a suffix. Preferably ‘Speed'.
In all seriousness, the V8 S is probably the pick of the range. It's so strong and has a good dollop of charisma. The W12 is massively smooth, but a bit too hushed in standard trim.
The Speed brings the noise and spirit back - it's deeply, deeply fast. 0-60mph in 4.0secs doesn't sound that fast these days, but then no Bentley has launch control - not really in the spirit of things, old chap. Give this thing the ability to depart the line with 4,000rpm on the dial and I bet you'd be looking at a sub-4 time.
Once up and running, the W12 is mighty. And it's mighty everywhere from about 1,200rpm on. There's just so much torque. It's loveliest in manual mode - stick it in a high gear and 607lb ft get to work on your lower spine.
But the V8 S is the one to have?
It is if you like driving. It manages its weight better than the W12, and does a passable impression of sportiness. The body control is exceptional for something weighing over 2.2 tonnes.
Until something goes wrong. You hit a patch of standing water, a nasty mid-corner ridge, and you're suddenly very aware of how much weight is being asked to behave itself. Good trick up to that point though.
So no quantum shift for the Conti?
As I said before, this car is already so well targeted at its audience, I don't think there's much Bentley can do that they're not already doing. The only obvious ‘improvement' would be to add hybrid technology to boost the smoothness/torque appeal yet further.
Last year, then-CEO Wolfgang Schreiber said that by the end of this decade 90 per cent of Bentleys would be available with hybrid technology. Provided they've not changed their mind on that, I'm going to assume that the reason this facelift is so minor is that Bentley is busy preparing something much more dramatic for the next generation...
W12 Speed specs:
5998cc, W12 twin-turbo, 626bhp, 607lb ft, 0-60mph in 4.0secs, 206mph max, 19.4mpg, 338g/km
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