Drove a 2008 bentley conti gt speed / Impressions and issue
Discussion
Last weekend i drove the above car and had a few thoughts.
Initially, it was almost a no brainer that i was going to have it.
Now I am not so sure.
Firstly, I found that the big w12 engine was muffled and i found at times that there may as well have been a big turbo diesel lump and it would have been the same. Expect with diesel it would have gotten 30-40mpg rather than 10-20. My wife described it as a giant hoover.
I mean I recently had an aston v12v and whilst i do not expect a similar experience, i still think that a w12 engine should make you feel special. I found the sound inside the cabin to be a bit boomy.
Secondly, I found the car to feel heavy (not a bad thing for a road car) but i did not find that it was a great 'wafter'. As in a car to be cool and relax. I did not find the seats particularly comfortable. I also find that on british tarmac, there was a fair amount of road tyres noise filtering into the cabin.
Thirdly, I found the infotainment system really dated and the volkswagen buttons around it were not a particularly sight. IMPORTANTLY, the car had the strd sound system with 12 odd speakers and i found it to be on the weak side. I thought it really lacked ooomph. I mean, how in the world can they let a car of this type come out of the factory with such a low system? Very few cars hjave the NAIM upgrade and makes it almost a no-no as a 2nd hand proposition.
Unless a concealed subwoofer can be plugged in the current audio system and be concealed underneath one of the seats?
Lastly, the car was low miles (sub 20k) and the leather on the arm rest at the back was starting to get lousy. One of the rear side panels was poorly cut and expended more than the one on the other side of the car.
The following day we drove a previous generation range rover tdv8 4.4 westminster and felt that it was better finished, way better sound system and infotainment. Good fast engine and gearbox and cheaper. Different car and different purposes. But still, the bentley suffered the comparison in my eyes.
Any thoughts on this?
Initially, it was almost a no brainer that i was going to have it.
Now I am not so sure.
Firstly, I found that the big w12 engine was muffled and i found at times that there may as well have been a big turbo diesel lump and it would have been the same. Expect with diesel it would have gotten 30-40mpg rather than 10-20. My wife described it as a giant hoover.
I mean I recently had an aston v12v and whilst i do not expect a similar experience, i still think that a w12 engine should make you feel special. I found the sound inside the cabin to be a bit boomy.
Secondly, I found the car to feel heavy (not a bad thing for a road car) but i did not find that it was a great 'wafter'. As in a car to be cool and relax. I did not find the seats particularly comfortable. I also find that on british tarmac, there was a fair amount of road tyres noise filtering into the cabin.
Thirdly, I found the infotainment system really dated and the volkswagen buttons around it were not a particularly sight. IMPORTANTLY, the car had the strd sound system with 12 odd speakers and i found it to be on the weak side. I thought it really lacked ooomph. I mean, how in the world can they let a car of this type come out of the factory with such a low system? Very few cars hjave the NAIM upgrade and makes it almost a no-no as a 2nd hand proposition.
Unless a concealed subwoofer can be plugged in the current audio system and be concealed underneath one of the seats?
Lastly, the car was low miles (sub 20k) and the leather on the arm rest at the back was starting to get lousy. One of the rear side panels was poorly cut and expended more than the one on the other side of the car.
The following day we drove a previous generation range rover tdv8 4.4 westminster and felt that it was better finished, way better sound system and infotainment. Good fast engine and gearbox and cheaper. Different car and different purposes. But still, the bentley suffered the comparison in my eyes.
Any thoughts on this?
enjoythemusic said:
Get the Range Rover tdv8 4.4, it seems more to your preference and you make many good points about the Bentley. The car is quiet on purpose and a different exhaust could solve that. The 2008 infotainment system is about circa 2002-ish in my eyes. Bentley, even in their 2014 models, are still far and away behind the pack in true technology for their infotainment system. Yes the car is heavy and they have tried to hide that fact, yet weight is weight. As for a sub, you could have one neatly integrated in the trunk with the output feeding out the ski opening between the rear seats.
I was actually thinking of of fitting one of those self powered mini subwoofers.Edited by enjoythemusic on Tuesday 16th December 12:49
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BO8O9XQ/ref=dra_a_sm...
I fitted one of those to a car previously and they are extremely discreet and super efficient to lift up the sound quality in a car. The only problem is that i do believe that the car does not have a subwoofer output.
Edited by erics on Tuesday 16th December 13:08
Thank you for the feedback. The weight is not really the problem. I know what to expect.
It's a bentley, not an Aston. It should be cosseting. You should be able to be very comfy in those seats and put on your favourite cd and enjoy for a 1k miles trip down to the south of France. The hard seats and the weak standard stereo system prevents you from doing so.
I expect the roar from the tyres to be less pronounced in a car of this caliber.
It's a bentley, not an Aston. It should be cosseting. You should be able to be very comfy in those seats and put on your favourite cd and enjoy for a 1k miles trip down to the south of France. The hard seats and the weak standard stereo system prevents you from doing so.
I expect the roar from the tyres to be less pronounced in a car of this caliber.
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