A car like this for under £30K - talk about depreciation.

[HeatonNorris]

Ari said:

HeatonNorris said:

Well, the GT is just a sawn-off big Passat

- mostly because they are obviously the product of the VW empire. Even the interiors are stuffed full of bits of Passat.

Yup, looks just like a Passat doesn't it?

But I can see lots of bits of the various VW / Audi rep mobiles I've driven over recent years in that cabin. It's very obviously a VW / Audi with posh badges.

They just don't have the same appeal as the old Turbo R and Arnage.

[stevemiller]

If I could afford to run one I would have one. Don't care who makes them or where I just would. I like the big VW but there's better out there for of that type.

[Ari]

HeatonNorris said:

I wonder what people would be saying about the GT if it had come out of the factory with Audi badges?

R8s get a mixed reaction due to the badge.... if the badges were swapped (ie. the R8 had Bentley badges and the GT had Audi badges) would opinions also largely 'swap' over?

Only those who's opinions on cars centre around concerns about which celebrity drives what.

Those that view a car as a car, rather than as some kind of personality prop, probably would think the same, that they're both fabulous cars for very different reasons.

I'd be extraordinarily happy with either personally, and couldn't care less about the "image". But then I drive an SLK and don't read Heat magazine.

[RatLad]

Ari said:

the Conti GT has presence, style, looks, that fabulous Bentley interior, and a sense of occasion completely unmatched by the Volkswagen surely?

You do seem to contradict yourself a bit, Ari.

The first three words you chose to associate with what makes the CGT is so good, are all based around 'image', by that measure I'm sure this is a key factor why you and many others like the CGT. There are many other cars that do luxurious cruising for far lass outlay, but don't have the Conti's style, which for what it's worth, I like as well.

[obob]

Ari said:

Image image image, laughable amongst supposed car enthusiasts!

Anyone actually driven one? Thought not. I have, and they are absolutely awesome cars, not much can touch them for their blend of comfort and refinement combined with rock solid 4wd traction and frankly devastating 200mph performance!!

But yeah, footballers cars cos probably 0.0001% of them are owned by footballers!

Yet if you say an MX5 has a hairdresser image you'll get told to stop caring what others think!

[Ari]

obob said:

Yet if you say an MX5 has a hairdresser image you'll get told to stop caring what others think!

Very true!

[The Moose]

Ari said:

The Moose said:

They're fantastic cars. For some reason, they always get a bashing on here, but they really are great to drive, more comfy than a comfy thing and sound bloody good too! They're also not ruinous to run if you don't use Bentley, rather an independent specialist

But but but...

The image man, what about the image...!!!!!

Pffftt, don't you know anything about cars?

Obviously not.

Where do I hand my membership card in?!

[Ari]

RatLad said:

Ari said:

the Conti GT has presence, style, looks, that fabulous Bentley interior, and a sense of occasion completely unmatched by the Volkswagen surely?

You do seem to contradict yourself a bit, Ari.

The first three words you chose to associate with what makes the CGT is so good, are all based around 'image', by that measure I'm sure this is a key factor why you and many others like the CGT. There are many other cars that do luxurious cruising for far lass outlay, but don't have the Conti's style, which for what it's worth, I like as well.

Fair comment, but they're based around the car. I think the car looks good, I think the car has style. I think a Lotus Elise looks good and has a certain style, but it's not a "prestige/image" thing.

All the negative connotations seem to centre around who drives them, comments about footballers or whoever else has been seen getting out of one in Heat magazine. All of which just seems a bit, well, pathetic really.

[sday12]

Nice car.

Wouldn't.

[Nuisance_Value]

Strangely, I don't buy cars for what other people may think of them or who else may or may not own one, I couldn't care less. In this particular case, I think these are great value if you can afford to run it, I think they look great, have lovely interiors and go like stink. That's pretty much all I want from a car.

I'd have one in a heartbeat.

[BE57 TOY]

Since when is driving a Bentley a bad image, but driving an old banger a good one?

If I turned up at a clients in an old banger i wouldn't be taken seriously.

[Thin White Duke]

ejenner said:

It's probably already been said, but I find this more appealing than the footballer cast-off pictured at the beginning.

Bentley Mulsanne 4dr Saloon 6.8
£4,500 1990 Saloon 28,000 miles Automatic 6.8L


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

Very nice indeed. Though I'm not struck on the colour - green has never appealed to me.

Regarding the car in my OP if I had £30K to spend on a car and running costs were not a problem it would be on my list, though I would probably end up buying something like this as a weekend toy:

http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[Ari]

Thin White Duke said:

Very nice indeed. Though I'm not struck on the colour - green has never appealed to me.

Regarding the car in my OP if I had £30K to spend on a car and running costs were not a problem it would be on my list, though I would probably end up buying something like this as a weekend toy:

http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

WOOF!!

[Haggleburyfinius]

Thin White Duke said:

Very nice indeed. Though I'm not struck on the colour - green has never appealed to me.

Regarding the car in my OP if I had £30K to spend on a car and running costs were not a problem it would be on my list, though I would probably end up buying something like this as a weekend toy:

http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Beautiful car.

I am sure I read on here recently that a service on one of these can run to 41 hours worth of labour...!

Does the GT still have an image problem? Sure, it was the choice of celebs, footballers and propertaay developers a few years back...those days are long gone though.

[Ari]

Haggleburyfinius said:

Does the GT still have an image problem? Sure, it was the choice of celebs, footballers and propertaay developers a few years back...those days are long gone though.

Only amongst those who judge cars by such things.

[DonkeyApple]

Haggleburyfinius said:

Beautiful car.

I am sure I read on here recently that a service on one of these can run to 41 hours worth of labour...!

Does the GT still have an image problem? Sure, it was the choice of celebs, footballers and propertaay developers a few years back...those days are long gone though.

Are you sure? That's quite a bold claim.

I suspect that they still very much have the image of Botox and peroxide.

[Haggleburyfinius]

Ari said:

Haggleburyfinius said:

Does the GT still have an image problem? Sure, it was the choice of celebs, footballers and propertaay developers a few years back...those days are long gone though.

Only amongst those who judge cars by such things.

Caring what other's think is such a British idiosyncrasy huh?

[Thin White Duke]

Ari said:

Only amongst those who judge cars by such things.

I don't really understand this "image" related business.

I know a couple of people who drive Range Rover Sports - I drove one of them myself. Very nice vehicles.
They are not chavs, both of them are in the farming/haulage industry and wanted a nice 4X4 - so that's what they bought.

I drive a Jag XJ8 which many claim to be an old mans motor, but it's a car that I could afford and a car that I wanted, so I bought it and enjoy driving it. I really don't care if people think Arthur Daley should be behind the wheel.

[Ari]

Basically, no matter how much you like a car, how good a value it is or how suitable for your needs, you should run it by the PH Massive to make sure it has the right image.

Obviously if it gets a thumbs down then you buy something less suitable but with greater approval rating instead.

Hope that helps!

[Ari]

DonkeyApple said:

I suspect that they still very much have the image of Botox and peroxide.

Why?