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2022 Bentley Continental GT
Starting at $205.225
Highs Elegant bodywork, ultra-luxe interior, chassis deftly walks the line between comfort and control.
Lows The best options require even more cash, consumes fuel like a full-size pickup truck, a price that prices out almost everyone.
Verdict Some say it’s all about the destination, but the Continental GT makes a good case for the journey.
Overview
Although it’s designed to make you feel like you’ve arrived, the 2022 Bentley Continental GT is also great car at making the journey memorable. The GT stands for grand touring, and the Conti’s cabin is truly grand, pampering its occupants with fine leather, gorgeous wood, and handsome metal trims mixed with modern technology, plentiful amenities and enough cargo space for those who wouldn’t deign to pack light. Both a coupe and a convertible are offered, as is a high-performance Speed variant. The Continental GT boasts a well-balanced chassis with just the right amount of athleticism for twisty canyon roads along with a smooth ride. All of this greatness comes at a steep price, but the six-figure outlay only serves to enhance the Bentley Continental GT’s curb appeal.
What’s New for 2022?
A higher-performance Speed model rejoins the Continental GT lineup for 2022 and powered by a 650-hp version of the car’s W-12 engine; updates to the chassis to improve agility. Among those new handling enhancers are rear-wheel steering and a torque-vectoring rear differential. The Speed also sports special styling features including Speed badging, unique 22-inch wheels, microfiber interior upholstery—and optional carbon-fiber dashboard trim. A new Blackline specification through Bentley’s Mulliner customization department is now available and provides darkened exterior and interior trimmings for a sleeker look.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
Coupe: $205,225
Convertible: $224,810
Speed Coupe: $280,225
Speed Convertible: $307,725
We prefer the Continental GT coupe and we’d stick with the standard V-8 engine. Bentley’s V-8 is a finely polished gem of an engine that gives up a touch of peak horsepower to the W-12 but makes for a coupe that’s every bit as quick and agile in real-world conditions. It’s only at very high speeds that the W-12 engine’s increased horsepower makes a difference. And while we like the wind in our hair as much as anyone, we’d choose the coupe because the arching roofline ties together the car’s style so elegantly we find it irresistible.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Updated versions of the existing V-8 and W-12 engines that powered the previous-generation Continental GT provide muscle-car performance. Our testing of the older model revealed that the V-8, which makes 542 horses, can launch the coupe to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. The more expensive W-12 engine produces 626 horsepower in non-Speed models and can motivate a coupe to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. The same engine has been tuned up to 650-hp in the Speed model, and we estimate it can reach 60 in as little as 3.1 seconds. Both engines use an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that snaps off quick but smooth gearshifts. Customers can order the coupe or convertible with either engine. And all Continental GTs come with an all-wheel-drive system standard.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
When a twin-turbo V-8 is the most fuel-efficient offering in a particular model, you know that efficiency is not top of mind for the carmaker—or its customers, for that matter. The EPA rates the Continental V-8 at 16 mpg city and 26 highway. In our real-world testing, we averaged 28 mpg in a V-8 model in our 200 miles highway fuel-economy test. For more information about the Continental GT’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
We expect a luxurious cabin from anything wearing the Bentley badge, and this two-door is no different. The interior is swathed in aromatic leather and fine wood veneers, and nearly everything about the Continental GT is customizable—for a price, of course. Bentley’s designers thought everything through, and each time behind the wheel reveals a surprising detail, such as expertly knurled control knobs and double-stitched diamond-pattern seat trim. Although the Continental GT technically has seatbelts for four occupants, we’d suggest you avoid using the rear seat for hauling adult-size people since its leg- and headroom are both limited. In our testing, we were able to fit five carry-on suitcases in the Continental’s trunk—plenty of space for a weekend away with your favorite travel companion.
Read More https://www.caranddriver.com/bentley/continental-gt-2022
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