Twenty years of the Bentley Continental GT: The brute and the heir apparent

Twenty years ago, the Continental GT heralded new times for Bentley. In order to feel how big this step really was, we took the last Continental R that he had made out of the stable for a report in Autovisie magazine.

Bentley is doing well and this was different. You may remember the difficult times under the wing of Rolls-Royce. The big turnaround has taken place mainly in the last twenty years. As part of the Volkswagen Group, the company not only thrived, but also one of the most important – not to say the most important Bentley of all time – came into being. What is meant is the Continental GT, which saw the light of day in 2003 and is still successful in the third generation.

Bentley Continental GT modern classic

This modern classic picked up where the Continental R left off. We send out the very last 2003 Continental R from factory pickup and then pick up a brand new Continental GT Speed.

Before the royal compartment can be set in motion, let’s unlock the machine’s lever by lifting it slightly. In Drive, he walks towards the factory gate in a relaxed manner. In addition, it’s time to test if he wants to stay inside the lines and outside the hedges.

Accidental Shot

The operation takes some getting used to, everything is clearly recognizable in terms of its function. The lights and wipers operate without question marks, and then the exploration of the many physical buttons seemingly randomly scattered across the center console begins. They all look like expensive, weighty custom builds.

So your fingers, like soldiers, carefully explore the minefield of the switches. You don’t want to fire an accidental shot or set off an explosion, because this threat emanates a little from that classic command center. We try the switches individually; Therefore, we carefully unravel the mysteries of this destroyer.

Different caliber

Today’s Continental GT Speed ​​is of a different caliber. He reacts very quickly, but also in a civilized manner. As with the R, the dashboard resembles the facade of a classic building. Luxurious and imposing with an architecture vaguely reminiscent of the architecture of Bentley’s headquarters on Pyms Lane. The gauges are beautiful ornaments rimmed with chrome.

The buttons and rings shine like expensive and well-polished silverware. The Speed’s W12 will also soon go down in the history books because it will no longer meet emissions standards. This particular engine certainly deserves a place there, if only because it may yet overtake the Jaguar 12 as the most-built 12-cylinder of all time.

Bentley’s twelve-part orchestra

But above all because, despite its mechanical complexity, it acts completely harmoniously like an extremely well-conducted orchestra. From the very slow Maestoso to the lightning-fast Vivace, he masters every tempo. And whatever you ask of him, he does everything in a civilized manner. Because despite the fact that this 2023 Speed ​​​​of the year produces no less than 659 hp and 900 Nm, one has the feeling that the technology could still handle more. Once created by the marriage of two folksy VR6s, the W12 is a child prodigy. The Continental R from 2003 is a noble brute, but the ingenious Continental GT brought glory to the throne as heir to the throne, so we can still enjoy Bentley today.

Read the full story in Autovisie magazine, available in stores now.