he dedicated turbocharger per cylinder bank breathes in fresh air from openings down near the front lights. Bentley has added to the turbocharger a system that, when you lift the throttle, builds and stores pressure in preparation to pre-spool the turbo fans. The result is a virtual elimination of turbo lag, for which you are thankful on any open-road pass. From 70 mph, which requires just 2000 revs of the tachometer in top gear, to 130 mph is an effortless affair. And truthfully, higher speeds could easily be reached on a closed track. Even more power is available than anyone really needs here, a fact recognized by Bentley and articulated well by its marketing commander, Adrian Hallmark.




“The target customer wants supercar performance with comfort,” Hallmark says. “The engine shouldn’t just make your heart race, but it should make the car fly when you push the throttle. We don’t impose a state of mind with the customers; when they press the throttle it comes to them.




“We don’t believe that 90 percent of our audience will use the available performance, but we have it there to make sure if those owners chose to do so, they could achieve it. This is not about horsepower or 0-to-60 numbers. It is unique exhilaration and relaxation in a single passion: Bentley-ness.” Still, it will get from a standstill to 60 in a scant 4.7 seconds.

Hallmark’s words ring as we attack a series of left and right positive-camber turns. The six-speed ZF transmission with a Torsen differential that locks up in all gears gives off a nice mechanical feel. Put the GT in normal drive mode and off you go. Or choose its sporty position, operated manually with the tunnel-mounted shifter or, as we worked it almost exclusively, via wheel-mounted paddles. If you have the car in drive and want it to downshift, hit the correct (left) paddle; 18 seconds later it returns to the drive mode.




The four-link front suspension coupled to its trapezoidal multilink rear setup does a wonderful job planting the car. Its 405-mm (15.9-inch) front disc brakes, the largest-diameter discs on any road car, barely but beautifully fit into the 19-inch wheels. To reduce unsprung weight, as well as to lessen any part of its already stout 5258-pound curb weight, Bentley uses two-piece wheels. This move, executives say, drops nearly 10 pounds off each corner over conventional cast steel counterparts. Tires are Pirelli 275/40ZRs all around.











The Continental GT’s interior is liberally swathed in leather and wood, and the dash itself mimics Bentley’s wings logo. Craftsmen spend 18 hours working the wood while 11 cows give up their hides for the interior. And if you’re a PETA member, sorry, no synthetics are offered.






The way in which Bentley has been showing the car is itself a study in the audience it seeks. Not a mass-market car, only 4000 will be built the first year, of which 35 percent will come to the States. Thereafter, the number of cars coming here increases, but not dramatically. It was first shown at the 2002 Geneva motor show to a select group of executives, suppliers, journalists and potential buyers. That styling buck was then paraded around to other potential buyers in the most select parts of the world. Bentley knows a killing field when it sees it: It rented space at a private country club near the Monterey Historic Races and, in a tent, held private showings for more of the well-heeled. From there it was off to Japan and then to Paris for its first “official” introduction. Still, the die had been cast; raves and pre-sell orders let the new Bentley Boys know they had something special.




And why not? Even the styling buck showed how the body is an elegant piece of work straight from the soul of Bentley design director, Dutchman Dirk van Braeckel. Two more amazing facts about that organic and voluptuous shape: It was done only using computers and accomplished in an almost unheard of four months’ time. The presence of the car on the show stages around the world is only outdone by the presence of it on the open road. Additionally, with just a 0.32 coefficient of drag, it is as slippery through the air as many exotic sports cars. Its rear spoiler can be set to actuate at different speeds, depending on the market, while a rear underbody diffuser helps reduce lift.




It is so well engineered using a mix of aluminum, magnesium, steel and cast iron that its stiffness—which helps in ride and handling—is amazing. For example: If you were to attach a three-foot-long steel arm to the front of the Continental GT, a second fully outfitted GT could hang off of it and the “donor” car would experience just one degree of body flex.

Just a few words on the assembly process. It remains very true to its hand-built heritage, save for two important functions: the marriage of engine to chassis, and the placement of the glass to the body. Those steps require the strength and exactitude only robots can effect.




If you look closely, the interior’s instrument panel fascia is in the shape of wings—much like those on the Bentley badge itself. This is symmetrical and deliberate, as it allows Bentley ease in moving the steering wheel to right- or left-hand drive for its various markets. The air conditioning vents have a jewel feel to them thanks to the blending of two metals that retain both a satin and polished finish.




The GT has “organ stop” pulls on the dash, whose buttons are machined and look like black onyx shirt studs rather than car switches. The wood is mirror matched, which means the same wood faces both driver and passenger.




Volkswagen’s ownership has afforded Bentley the opportunity to invest 9 million euros in the company’s wood shop—along with several hundred million euros elsewhere throughout the factory—in an effort to deliver what Bentley owners have come to expect, namely an interior that is all wood and all leather. It takes 18 hours just to produce the wood for each Continental GT interior. By contrast, it takes 18 hours to produce a Volkswagen Golf. Additionally, 11 cowhides are used in the making of each Continental GT; no man-made synthetics are even offered.




If you’re looking for open-air fun, sorry, there is no sunroof. Rigidity, remember. But a convertible? Well, that’s neither out of the question nor off the product plan. Look for something like that in the future, along with a four-door sedan to show sometime next year.




“Credibility is absolutely a requirement in this segment,” says Bentley’s Hallmark. “We are immensely proud of our history and we want to add to the Bentley legend.”




Bentley has left little doubt that the Continental GT will do just that.

2004 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT


ON SALE: March 2004
BASE PRICE: $149,990 (est.)
POWERTRAIN: 6.0-liter, 552-hp, 479-lb-ft twin-turbo W12; awd, six-speed automanual
CURB WEIGHT: 5258 pounds
0-60 MPH: 4.7 seconds (mfr.)