Geneva show: Bentley reveals drop-top Continental GT

LESS than a fortnight out from the Geneva motor show, Bentley has revealed a bespoke flagship for its Continental line-up, the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible.

Due to go on display at arguably the world’s most prestigious motor show, Bentley says the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible will “redefine the pinnacle of roof-down automotive luxury”.

Under the bonnet will be the choice of Bentley’s new-generation twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine or the iconic twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12, both of which promise to deliver effortless Bentley performance.

The V8 will dash from 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 318 km/h while the W12 shaves 0.3 seconds off the dash to 100km/h (down to 3.8 seconds) to top out at 333km/h.

To distinguish itself from the regular Continental GT line-up, the Mulliner Convertible brandishes a new Double Diamond front grille inspired by the brand’s Diamond-in-Diamond interior quilting design which features throughout the cabin, including on all four seats, door casings, rear quarters and tonneau cover.

Sitting on unique 22-inch Mulliner wheels, the new flagship will be available in no less than 61 different colours, although customers will also have the option to “commission Bentley’s artisan paint specialists to colour-match to any item or sample”.

“The new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible has been created to appeal to those customers wanting an even greater focus on beautiful details,” the brand said in a statement.

“The ultimate handcrafted Continental GT Convertible interior offers eight custom-made three-colour combinations.”

The interior itself can be had in a variety of contrasting tri-colour combinations – leather naturally – with subtle and elegant looking Mulliner stitching on the dash and on headrests to remind owners what they are in.

The centre console has a diamond milled finish to it, adorned with an exclusive brushed silver Breitling timepiece above the gear lever while seven different mood lighting options are included as standard as well as LED welcome lights.

Entertainment-wise, the Mulliner Convertible is fitted with an 18-speaker Naim for Bentley audio system which has been aired with a 2200-watt, 20-channel amplifier.

It is not yet known how many Continental GT Mulliner Convertibles are slated to go into production, but the first one will go on display at the Geneva motor show on March 3.

So far this year ending January, Bentley has shifted nine Continental GTs, accounting for 7.6 per cent of the $200,000+ sports segment, but down 10 per cent on the same time last year.

The brand as a whole meanwhile has shifted 15 cars, up 15.4 per cent on January 29.