Overview

There’s an overwhelming sense of Britishness about the second-generation Bentley Continental GT coupe, from the imposing-yet-svelte styling to an interior swathed with lashings of leather and charm. It’s luxurious but in a nevertheless slightly quaint manner.

Not only is this Bentley available as this two-door, four-seater coupe, there’s a Continental GT Convertible also on offer, alongside a larger – but still closely-related – four-door saloon version, the Flying Spur.

Such is the Bentley’s combination of spaciousness (relatively speaking), performance and refinement, it has few direct rivals, the nearest contenders being the Aston Martin DB11, high-end versions of the evergreen Porsche 911 Coupe and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe.

Twin-turbocharged performance

Despite the lightest Continental GT coupe tipping the scales at 2,295kg, performance is nothing short of prodigious – even the entry-level V8 model can crack the 0-62mph acceleration standard in 4.8 seconds before reaching a top speed of 190mph.

Turbocharging is the key here – or rather a pair of turbos, is. Whether you opt for the 4.0-litre V8 engine or the unusual 6.0-litre W12 (imagine two 3.0-litre V6s sat adjacent to one another), twin-turbocharging sees power outputs of between 507hp and 642hp.

Needless to say you’ll be incredibly fortunate to achieve anything close to the V8’s official fuel consumption claim of 26.8mpg in the real world.

Four models are available: GT V8, GT V8 S (528hp), GT (no model name reference to the W12 engine, with 590hp) and GT Speed (with the 642hp edition of the larger powerplant).

Sporty yet comfortable drive

The Bentley’s considerable heft blunts its outright agility along twistier roads but a combination of all-wheel drive and wide tyres ensure that traction is rarely broken, still allowing you to corner briskly, if not with the finesse of its rivals.

Conversely, few cars at all come close to matching the Continental GT’s suppleness over harsh road surfaces, behaving more like a limousine than many supposedly luxury saloons can come close to.

So long as you’re not expecting it to deliver the ultimate representation of wieldiness you’re unlikely to be disappointed by the Bentley’s dynamic blend.