2011 Bentley Continental GT Debuts, With an Eye Toward Fuel Efficiency

Just the Facts:

• 2011 Bentley Continental GT launches online today.
• The Continental GT gets a more powerful W12 and an optional flex-fuel 4.0-liter V8.
• Pricing on the 2011 Continental GT W12 will be released at the Paris auto show.

CREWE, England — The new 2011 Bentley Continental GT — with a decidedly socially responsible bent — was launched online on Tuesday ahead of its world premiere at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. The Continental GT not only gets what the automaker says is a more "sharp and muscular" look and a more powerful W12 engine, it will also get an optional flex-fuel 4.0-liter V8 engine in late 2011 that underscores what Bentley says is a new "environmental commitment " — and is a slightly more affordable option for buyers.

Bentley Motors spokeswoman Valentine O'Connor told Inside Line that the 2011 Continental GT W12 will go on sale in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2011, while the new V8 edition will arrive stateside in the fourth quarter of 2011. Pricing on the 2011 Continental GT W12 will be released in Paris, she said.

Social responsibility seems to be a key theme with the launch of the new Continental GT.

Even the 567-horsepower 6.0-liter W12 engine has flex-fuel capability and can run on E85 ethanol. Bentley says that the W12, despite a 15-hp boost, now gets an estimated 12 mpg in city driving and 19 mpg on the highway. That is a 20 percent improvement in city fuel economy and a 12 percent improvement in highway driving. The EPA said the 2009 Bentley Continental GT with a 552-hp 6.0-liter W12 and a six-speed automatic transmission delivers 10 mpg in city driving and 17 mpg on the highway. Bentley says the 2011 Continental GT has an overall weight saving of 143 pounds versus the outgoing model due to "reduction in all areas of the car from engine components through to new seats." There was no 2010 Continental GT in the U.S.

The W12 in the 2011 Continental GT also gets a boost in torque to 516 pound-feet. "The result is a 6 percent improvement in the new GT's power-to-weight ratio, making it capable of accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds with a top speed of 198 mph," said Bentley.

The 2011 Continental GT equipped with the new 4.0-liter V8 is clearly the more "socially responsible" Bentley described in a 2008 corporate white paper by the automaker. The paper emphasized that Bentley was planning "a new powertrain set for introduction by 2012 that will deliver a 40 percent reduction in fuel consumption while maintaining current levels of performance." It also said it would offer biofuel-compatible powertrains across "100 percent (of our) product range by 2012."

In a statement on Tuesday, Bentley said the 4.0-liter V8 "will deliver a 40 percent reduction in emissions compared with the W12 engine and offer a class-leading CO2 emissions-to-power ratio." It added that: "When offered on the new Continental GT, the V8 will provide a new price entry point for both new and existing customers."

Besides the drive for improvements in fuel economy, the 2011 Continental GT also gets a somewhat edgier appearance. Bentley describes it as having "a more sculpted body and sharp 'power lines.'" Details include jeweled headlights with LED daytime running lights, a more upright matrix radiator grille, a new "double-horseshoe" rear profile borrowed from the Bentley Mulsanne and optional 21-inch wheels.

The cabin gets a more sweeping instrument panel that is said to "echo the flying wings of the Bentley motif," a new touchscreen infotainment system with advanced satellite navigation, and an optional removable case finished with inlaid Bentley wings for holding keys and pens.

An eight-speaker sound system is standard or buyers can upgrade to an 11-speaker Naim for Bentley sound system.

The 2011 Continental GT is equipped with a ZF six-speed transmission with "Quickshift" that Bentley says cuts shift times by 50 percent and "enables double downshifts." A new 40:60 rear-biased torque split for the all-wheel-drive system reduces understeer, the automaker said. The track is wider by 1.6 inches at the front and 1.8 inches at the rear than the previous model.

Inside Line says: Even Bentley shows a new sensitive side when it comes to fuel economy gains as it rolls out the new Continental GT. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent