Bentley Continental GT Convertible

At the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) 2017, the third generation of the Bentley Continental GT debuted as a Coupé. It took until the beginning of 2018, before first copies of the new car arrived at the dealers. The conversion to WLTP-compliant production also kept the numbers of manufactured vehicles at a rather low level this year. Nevertheless, the British brand now presents the four-seat Convertible at the Los Angeles Auto Show as an addition to the model range.

Visually, the car actually offers no surprises. As with the predecessors, a classic notchback behind the roof compartment replaces the sloping rear of the Coupé. The hood itself can be opened and closed in 19 seconds, which is also possible while driving up to a speed of 31 mph (50 kph). In addition to six fabric colors for the classic soft top, Bentley also offers a new tweed soft top. For the bodywork 17 different paint colors are available in the normal program, complemented by the extended program and the ability to order completely unique shades to sample. From factory the wheel arches are filled with 21-inch alloy wheels with five double-spokes. Optionally, there are equal-sized ten-spoke wheels or 22-inch open-spoke rims. All wheel designs are available in ten different finishes.

The interior shows the typical luxurious ambiente of a Bentley. In addition to the finest materials such as leather and wood from sustainable cultivation, such as Koa or Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus, the Continental GT Convertible offers an enhanced neck heating system, which is quieter and warmer compared to its predecessor. Next to that, the car comes with heated steering wheel, heated seats and, for the first time, heated armrests to enable pleasant driving even on cool days. While there are no analog instruments behind the steering wheel anymore, at least there are three on one of the three sides of the ‘Bentley Rotating Display’, that is already known from the Coupé. Alternatively the Rotating Display hides in the same decor as the dashboard or it shows a 12.3 inch wide touchscreen display.

Under the bonnet, for the time being, the known W12 turbo engine with 467 kW/635 hp and 900 newtonmeters of torque remains the only available option. In the coming years, however, there should follow a V8 engine as well. Thanks to an eight-speed double-clutch gearbox, the power is transmitted to the all-wheel drive system. This allows a sprint from standstill to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a topspeed of 207 mph.

Images: Bentley