The holder of the title of the oldest model in production is the Bentley Continental GT. The first coupe was revealed at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show.
Having undergone numerous tweaks and updates, this car remained somewhat similar to the original model. Underlying platform and basic styling have not been changed over the years, and that’s what gives this car that vintage look.
But a new heir to the throne is on its way, and we have a video plus some photos to show you!
The first thing we noticed was that this car is based on Bentley’s EXP 10 Speed 6 concept from 2015. However, this reworked Continental GT has a kind of a sleeker and more prominent look than the current one, and we believe that it will become a great hit. A quick glance inside revealed a platter of new features such as the digital instrument cluster.
This model isn’t a production version of the EXP 10 Speed 6 as some rumors say because the size of this car is comparable with the current Continental GT and on top of that, some photos revealed that it has a 2 + 2 seating arrangement in it. If they approve the EXP 10 Speed 6 for production, it will be a quality two-seater sports car.
Let’s get back to topic. Volkswagen Group’s MSB platform is underpinning this Continental GT, and that base is a good fit for a large, all-wheel and rear-wheel drive cars that have engines in the front. This platform debuted in 2017 Porsche Panamera.
Significant weight savings are promised since Porsche is in charge of the development of the platform. The plan is to use lightweight materials as much as possible, those include high-strength steel and aluminum. This redesigned base will also be a feature of a reworked Flying Spur.
Engine
When it comes to Bentley’s options under the hood, we should have two choices. The first one is the V8 and the second one is the W-12 engine. However, it is highly improbable that we will have a diesel unit for this car but at least a plug-in hybrid option is among the company’s promises. At launch, we only expect the W-12 version. To be precise, that engine will be a new twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 which has direct fuel injection (first seen in 2017 Bentley Bentayga). It will produce at least 600 hp taking that the one in the 2017 model produces 582 hp.
2018 Bentley Continental GT Release Date
This thing of beauty, reworked Continental GT, should debut soon. We expect it to be available for purchase later this year as a 2018 model. After the launch of the coupe, we should be getting the redesigned Continental GT Convertible from Bentley’s kitchen also.
