Bentley adds V8 to new-generation Continental GT

UPDATED: 20/03/2019

BENTLEY Motors has doubled the third-generation Continental GT sportscar line-up with V8 variants of its coupe and convertible body styles, although the new engine option will not be heading Down Under.

While the Continental GT V8 coupe and convertible will return to the United States in the third quarter this year, Bentley Motors Australia and New Zealand retail marketing manager Emma Ireland told GoAuto that the duo will no longer be sold locally.

“We do not have any plans for the new V8 in Australia,” she said. “Our focus remains on the W12 variant.”

For reference, the W12 coupe and convertible are priced from $422,600 and $462,240.50 plus on-road costs respectively. The previous-generation V8 variants cost about $20,000 less.

Compared to its W12 variants, the Continental GT is not all that different inside and out in V8 form, with the key difference being under the bonnet.

In the engine bay sits a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that already does service in the Bentayga upper-large SUV, as well as in Porsche’s Panamera large car and Cayenne large SUV.

Tuned to develops a familiar 404kW of power (+31kW) and 770Nm of torque (+110Nm), the V8 is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and a variable all-wheel-drive system that is rear-biased.

As a result, the coupe can dash from zero to 100km/h in 4.0 seconds, while the convertible is just 0.1s slower to triple digits. Top speed for the former is 318km/h, while the latter’s terminal velocity is yet to be confirmed.

Comparatively, the W12 coupe and convertible complete the zero-to-100km/h sprint in 3.7s and 3.8s respectively, thanks to their 467kW/900Nm 6.0-litre engine.

Like the W12, the V8 features cylinder deactivation technology, which allows it to operate as a four-cylinder unit in certain conditions. Fuel consumption is also helped by an idle-stop system.

The V8 coupe and convertible are visually distinguished from their W12 counterparts by 20-inch alloy wheels with a unique 10-spoke design, as well as subtle ‘V8’ badging behind the front wheelarches.

Oval-shaped quad tailpipes form a pair of eights at the rear end as another nod to the V8 under the bonnet, while the exhaust system itself produces a “characterful, burbling” note, according to Bentley Motors.

Sales of the Continental GT have significantly improved this year, with 20 examples sold to the end of February – a 233.3 per cent increase over the six deliveries made during the same period in 2018.

As a result, the Continental GT is currently the equal third best-selling sportscar in the $200,000-plus segment, trailing Porsche’s 911 (93 units) and Ferrari’s model line-up (48) but tied with Mercedes-AMG’s GT (20) and ahead of Aston Martin’s (13) and McLaren’s (13) coupe and convertible models, among others.