Bentley lobs Aussie Continental GT V8 pricing

ALMOST exactly a year after telling GoAuto there were no plans to introduce it in Australia, Bentley has launched the third generation of its Continental GT V8 range Down Under, priced from $400,900 plus on-road costs for the Coupe and $441,300 for the Convertible.

Agility is the name of the V8’s game according to Bentley, with the new model said to be the most agile ever, courtesy of the height-adjustable air-spring suspension with Continuous Damping Control fitted as standard.

Bentley’s Drive Dynamics system is also fitted as standard which provides preset parameters for the adaptive damping to work within, ranging from “luxury limousine refinement” to “sporting stiffness”.

The usually rear-biased adaptive all-wheel-drive system also plays its plays its part in aiding vehicle dynamics, constantly altering and shifting the amount of power being sent to each axle depending on the driver mode, driver inputs and environment.

As the V8 nameplate would suggest, power comes courtesy of the familiar Volkswagen Group 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, force-fed by a pair of twin-scroll turbochargers to produce 404kW and 770Nm, put down to the tarmac via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Despite weighing in at 2165kg, the power and torque figures are enough to launch the Continental GT V8 Coupe from 0-100km/h in 4.0 seconds while the heavier Convertible takes an extra tenth to stop the clock at 4.1 seconds.

Top speed for both variants is pegged at 318km/h while cylinder deactivation goes some way in keeping the fuel bills down, with a claimed fuel economy on the combined cycle of 11.8 litres per 100km.

To distinguish itself from its W12 brethren, the new Continental GT V8s ride on unique 10-spoke 20-inch alloys wheels, brandish chrome quad-exit exhaust tips and don subtle V8 badging on the front wings.

The headlights have also been given a tweak, now fully LED and designed to resemble a fine-cut gem stone.

Inside there are 20-way power-adjustable leather seats with heating and cooling functions, fully digital instrument cluster, heated steering wheel and armrests, 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Alcantara headlining in the Coupe, walnut veneer on the dash, digital radio and 10-speaker Bentley Audio system.

The Convertible’s spec sheet reads virtually word-for-word the same as the Coupe’s but trades the walnut veneer for eucalyptus.

Other than that, the only difference is the cloth folding roof, which can be both lowered or erected in 19 seconds at up to 50km/h.

Last year Bentley sold 191 cars nationally, 115 of which were Continental GTs.

So far this year end February, the prestige British marque has shifted 29 units, including 18 Continental GTs, marking 10 per cent dip compared to the same period last year.

2020 Bentley Continental GT V8 pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs