• Luxurious and beautifully-crafted interior
• Classy mix of retro and modern components
• Tech feels a bit behind the curve now, though

If you’re looking for the most opulent, luxurious and classy interior money can buy, the Bentley Continental GT is probably the best this side of a Rolls-Royce. That is, assuming you’re drawn to some of its more traditional styling elements – organ stop air vent controls, quilted leather, a forest’s worth of wood veneer and knurled switchgear from here to eternity.

That said, if you prefer a more modern air to your Grand Tourer, Bentley’s Mulliner department will utilise almost any material you like. We’re particularly fond of the aircraft-style aluminium, but most still opt for an expertly-matched wood veneer.

Infotainment and tech

There’s a digital instrument panel that’s fully customisable, which is somewhat par for the course, but the real star of the show is what’s affectionately been christened the ‘Toblerone’ – a three-sided system in the centre of the dash. It’s capable of alternating between a large, 12.3-inch infotainment display and a blank continuation of the dashboard veneer. Or, you can have three yacht-like dials displaying the temperature, time, and a compass.

It’s an elegant solution to having the infotainment system easily accessible but not having it dominate the dashboard at all times.

That being said, the system itself feels a little out-of-date now. It incorporates Apple CarPlay but doesn’t make such a provision for Android Auto, and the graphics, fonts and interface all feel a step behind the latest systems. That said, the same criticism can be levelled at most large GTs…

Comfort

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It’s superbly luxurious and peaceful inside the Continental GT. Unless you really hammer them the engines are hushed, the sound deadening impeccable and as a result neither road, wind nor engine noise is allowed to compromise the peace of the cabin.

The seats are sculpted like armchairs and offer 20-way adjustment, complete with heating, cooling and even massaging functions. That’s all atop rich, buttery leather, though gripper Alcantara is available if you opt for a more focused ‘Speed’ model.

And of course, the Continental GT rides impeccably too – it wouldn’t be a Grand Tourer if it didn’t.