Tuesday 17th February 2015

Bentley Continental and Flying Spur updates

Facelift includes 590hp update for GT W12 and tree-hugging efficiency gains to ... 329g/km and 20mpg

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There's a lot going on at Geneva. As such a quiet shuffle in the order of Bentley's Continental GT range stands a risk of going unnoticed, so before the show kicks off it has confirmed a series of updates ahead of formal unveiling at the Swiss show. All GTs get a refreshed look, comprising a smaller grille, revised front wings and a new front bumper to give "a more assertive and confident stance to the front of the car." Because Continentals have always been regarded as a bit shy and retiring, right?

Spot the differences? Whisper it, nor us...

Moving to the sides we have a couple of large chrome 'B' logos added to a revised side vent - possibly a bit gauche, despite being described as a "graceful metallic adornment" - while at the back there's a new boot lid and bumper. New wheels and colours will also feature, 20-inch 'six-tri-spoke' items as standard on GT V8 and W12 with 21s on the options list.

Bentley has also tickled the outputs on the W12 engine, increasing power from 575hp to 590hp and torque from 516lb ft to 531lb ft. Touchingly it also boasts of five per cent efficiency gains, the 12-cylinder now achieving 329g/km and 20mpg. Hardly a Prius then.

It does, though, put a bit of breathing space between the W12 and the feistier S version of the V8, whose 528hp and 502lb ft were dangerously close on the spec sheet. In reality the more assertive sounding V8 is a different animal from the creamily smooth W12 but a little more space between them can't hurt. For the truly power crazed the 635hp/607lb ft W12 GT Speed remains undisputed top of the (country) pile.

Is that 'Shortbread' or 'Camel' then?

Inside there are more leathers and Alcantaras to choose from - including an appealing sounding 'Shortbread' option - and "all-new" driver controls including an optional "sports oriented" steering wheel and larger shifter paddles with what it describes as "tactile knurled metal embellishers." Quite so. New dials and graphics have been added to the instruments, the chrome detailing has been updated and in Mulliner Driving Specification (standard on the Speed) you get a tighter quilting pattern apparently reminiscent of a "tailored British jacket".

Changes to the Flying Spur are, meanwhile, less dramatic but include a range of new colours and trims and efficiency gains to the 625hp W12. Which is to say it now emits 333g/km of CO2 rather than 343g/km as before. Complimentary membership of Greenpeace awaits!

 

[dlockhart]

Either I have changed or the subtle changes that have been made over the past 12 years have made this car much more handsome.

[F1GTRUeno]

dlockhart said:

Either I have changed or the subtle changes that have been made over the past 12 years have made this car much more handsome.

On the contrary, they've made it much, much worse.

[Dr S]

The facelift is utterly horrible. Where the previous version was all classic clean lines this is so fussy as if their intern broke havoc after a night out with too many pills for inspiration...

[NXXN]

Bentley S-line.

[LotusOmega375D]

The Continental just looks so unhappy now: the face-lifts are taking their toll.

I think it would rather Bentley took it on a diversion to the Dignitas clinic in Zurich, rather than have everyone looking on at it with pity at the motor show in Geneva.

Edited by LotusOmega375D on Tuesday 17th February 16:52

[FourWheelDrift]

When they launch an update using a car in beige you know someone in marketing is starting to take the piss.

[vr6dom]

Shame.

The only update required was the deletion of the Halfords chrome bodywork trim on the rear lights.

The new front bumper "a more assertive and confident stance to the front of the car." Please... looks like a handlebar moustache

[GTEYE]

dlockhart said:

Either I have changed or the subtle changes that have been made over the past 12 years have made this car much more handsome.

I'm with you on this one. I hated them when they first came out, I'd actually quite like one now.

I even quite like that green...

[dvs_dave]

The V8 in these punches well above the quoted numbers. In the Audi S8 which it gets its engine from, "rumor has it" that it pushes out 600+ BHP. And the other week on TG Australia special, the way it gave the apparently more powerful yet much lighter GTR a pretty good pasting in the drag race kind of confirms it.

Old tech W12 is made somewhat pointless by the V8.

[Escort Si-130]

All hail the recycled Jeremy Clarkson Halfords joke!

vr6dom said:

Shame.

The only update required was the deletion of the Halfords chrome bodywork trim on the rear lights.

The new front bumper "a more assertive and confident stance to the front of the car." Please... looks like a handlebar moustache

[Quhet]

Why the fk would anyone buy a green Bentley?

[P4ROT]

This reminds me of the Gallardo's very last facelift - they're just messing about now; new model please Bentley

[soad]

Quhet said:

Why the fk would anyone buy a green Bentley?

To stand out?

[GTEYE]

Escort Si-130 said:

All hail the recycled Jeremy Clarkson Halfords joke!

vr6dom said:

Shame.

The only update required was the deletion of the Halfords chrome bodywork trim on the rear lights.

The new front bumper "a more assertive and confident stance to the front of the car." Please... looks like a handlebar moustache

All hail the person who feels the need to comment on both Clarkson and Halfords on every post...

[bobberz]

Quhet said:

Why the fk would anyone buy a green Bentley?

Oh, I don't know...

[bobberz]

TBH, I don't think yet another update was necessary. The new lower grille is a bit much and, IMO, doesn't work with the clean, flowing lines of the Conti. It also is more than a bit reminiscent of Aston's grille or the old, pre-Karma Fiskers, like the Tramonto.





I've always liked the GT. In America, there isn't the negative connotation of "footballer's car", though Paris Hilton did have a pink one, which is probably a worse association. Still, I think it's absurd to judge a car simply based on the fact a particularly tasteless person happens to own one.

If it's ever possible (it should be, given the depreciation-rates of Bentleys), I'd like to own a V8S in this exact color combination. The dark blue and cream works very well with the elegant lines of the GT.