What Is It?
2003 Bentley Continental GT
What's Special About It?
Expected to arrive in mid-2003, this two-door coupe will be the first new product to emerge after the Bentley/Rolls Royce split that becomes official as of January 1, 2003. With only Bentley to concentrate on, Volkswagen has dedicated extensive resources to build this all-new, two-door, four-seat coupe.
Smaller than Bentleys of old, the GT will attempt to give the upscale manufacturer broader appeal with a model that is closer to Aston Martin's DB7 and the Maserati coupe in both size and price. Power comes from a 6.0-liter W12, the same size and configuration that will be used in the upcoming VW Phaeton super luxury sedan. However, for the Continental, two turbos have been strapped on. Final specs have yet to be released, but the company says "over 500 horsepower" can be expected.
Previous Bentleys were always rear-wheel drive, but this one will be all-wheel drive. The company says it chose AWD to best harness the engine's power, as well as make the car more usable in wet or snowy conditions. A six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic is standard.
The basis of the Continental GT is an extremely stiff body. To this is added a fully independent suspension with front double wishbones, a multilink rear axle, air springs and electronically adjustable dampers. Bentley says the Continental GT will be firm rather than harsh, have impressive resistance to roll and still be compliant enough to ride poorly surfaced roads with "absolute equanimity."
Inside, there is a proper English-looking and wood-paneled dash with just enough German organization to make it manageable. Most of the frequently used controls are accessible via buttons on the steering wheel, while other functions such as the air conditioning, navigation, computer information and more advanced entertainment features are individually controlled, but displayed on the same LCD screen sited in the middle of the center console.
Instrumentation is provided by classically styled dials that live in deep recesses ahead of the steering wheel, while a small screen directly in the driver's sight line monitors all relevant in-car systems.
Why Should You Care?
We don't see much of a way to go wrong with this one. It looks cool, has more than 500 hp and is backed by VW's deep pockets. Perhaps for the next James Bond movie, 007 can drive an Aston Martin Vanquish and a Continental GT. — Brent Romans
2003 Bentley Continental GT
What's Special About It?
Expected to arrive in mid-2003, this two-door coupe will be the first new product to emerge after the Bentley/Rolls Royce split that becomes official as of January 1, 2003. With only Bentley to concentrate on, Volkswagen has dedicated extensive resources to build this all-new, two-door, four-seat coupe.
Smaller than Bentleys of old, the GT will attempt to give the upscale manufacturer broader appeal with a model that is closer to Aston Martin's DB7 and the Maserati coupe in both size and price. Power comes from a 6.0-liter W12, the same size and configuration that will be used in the upcoming VW Phaeton super luxury sedan. However, for the Continental, two turbos have been strapped on. Final specs have yet to be released, but the company says "over 500 horsepower" can be expected.
Previous Bentleys were always rear-wheel drive, but this one will be all-wheel drive. The company says it chose AWD to best harness the engine's power, as well as make the car more usable in wet or snowy conditions. A six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic is standard.
The basis of the Continental GT is an extremely stiff body. To this is added a fully independent suspension with front double wishbones, a multilink rear axle, air springs and electronically adjustable dampers. Bentley says the Continental GT will be firm rather than harsh, have impressive resistance to roll and still be compliant enough to ride poorly surfaced roads with "absolute equanimity."
Inside, there is a proper English-looking and wood-paneled dash with just enough German organization to make it manageable. Most of the frequently used controls are accessible via buttons on the steering wheel, while other functions such as the air conditioning, navigation, computer information and more advanced entertainment features are individually controlled, but displayed on the same LCD screen sited in the middle of the center console.
Instrumentation is provided by classically styled dials that live in deep recesses ahead of the steering wheel, while a small screen directly in the driver's sight line monitors all relevant in-car systems.
Why Should You Care?
We don't see much of a way to go wrong with this one. It looks cool, has more than 500 hp and is backed by VW's deep pockets. Perhaps for the next James Bond movie, 007 can drive an Aston Martin Vanquish and a Continental GT. — Brent Romans
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