Let’s get the plain out of the way in which, that is an especially nice place to be. The automotive welcomes you want a prince into limitless luxurious. Understatement is the secret right here, it’s a classically British automotive which wraps brawn with beautiful tailoring. Lovely stitched leather-based integrates seamlessly with alcantara and mixture of refined traces and luxurious curves and elegant seating for a divine driver expertise.
We all know the Continental GT, it’s been round for 20 years. Drive it and there’s no marvel it’s a favourite. This consummate GT has excessive consolation and extraordinary efficiency.
Bentley have supplied regular updates for it nonetheless and this primary hybrid version actually is distinctive with it’s wider grille and mascara swipe lights speaking its a brand-new all time basic. The outside, muscular and purposeful, is modest. It all the time garners admiring seems but few understand what this automotive is able to.
This primary version Bentley Continental GT Velocity is a plug-in hybrid – a distant sound of thunder from the 4 liter turbo, coupled with electrical drive, it’s the primary they’ve made. It’s additionally the quickest. The mixed 567 kilowatts (771 hp) and 1000 newton meters of torque sedately sling this 2.45 ton monster as much as the authorized velocity restrict in simply three level 3.2 seconds for a high velocity of 335 kmh – unimaginable figures. And might it do these high speeds? Sure. Simply final weekend I attended the New Zealand Land Velocity Affiliation annual occasion the place drivers check their automobiles on a closed highway. Regardless of critical competitors, the quickest automotive current was the earlier technology GT Continental, recording over 320 kph. This new GT Velocity is 20% extra highly effective. There isn’t a doubt it is likely one of the very quickest automobiles you should purchase. It’s all the time launch prepared, press the brake then throttle to full, let the brake go, and put together for physics to rearrange your circulation. You may even say phrases like “Gosh darn”, “Gee Wizz” or “Crikey”.
It might have supercar efficiency, but you don’t wish to really feel each bump and rattle on a highway floor once you’re driving lengthy distance as this automotive is designed for and so it calmly filters all that out. It simply leaves you with a peaceful drive through lively air suspension, radar managed cruise management and naturally complete consolation. It ensures you loosen up on the journey, whereas the lane holding retains you secure. Every part as anticipated darling. Development is ever assured and by no means a fuss. And that’s right down to a close to 50/50 weight distribution, which simply crops the automotive. Plus, the 4 wheel steer and electrical anti-roll means it corners prefer it’s on rails, and nonetheless maintains composure. Customary driving mode, ‘Bentley’ mode, takes care of all the pieces for you – and defaults to electrical wherever potential, particularly at low velocity, for consolation and quiet. Then choose Sport for optimum output by 4 wheel drive. Highway holding is fabulous. You’re feeling its weight below braking and heavy cornering, however this isn’t a sports activities automotive. I imply, it would outperform nearly all of them, however that’s not its level. The purpose is to benefit from the journey – and that’s very straightforward to do. It’s really very straightforward to make a automotive go quick lately, so there’s rather more to automotive than outright velocity and the Bentley Continental GT velocity delivers right here. The 4 wheel steering is kind of the revelation, which means you will get this enormously lengthy automotive spherical and a few very tight gaps in and round city.
Massive screens have put luxurious automotive makers in a quandary: Are big contact screens luxurious or not? Bentley has taken a sensible strategy placing all air flow and important capabilities on bodily controls. You’ll be able to nonetheless alter most capabilities from the display as properly, if you want, I like that. They’re not telling you what to do – you get a alternative. Driver devices are all digital. That’s the case on nearly all automobiles lately and whereas there’s nothing as stylish as an analog sprint, Bentley have executed an excellent job right here, matching perform with subtle type all and the sprint in all fairness adjustable whereas preserving it stylish – and once you flip it hides its console display. My favourite driver setting was night time imaginative and prescient. I didn’t get to try it out At the hours of darkness, however what an ideal addition to security. The sprint does function a swoop of piano black. Good-looking, however not my favourite materials, as a result of it’s eternally dusty and at instances harshly reflective. It’s nice for a showroom, however on a morning drive, the parabolic sprint targeted the solar on my eyes. That’s the one criticism I’ve bought, aside from that, it may be the perfect automotive I’ve pushed, and I’d most likely put up with the reflective bits to have one thing that’s in any other case so good. One of many many intelligent issues it does is activate the brake lights once you’re regen-braking. It’s managing all that for you. Identical because the air flow. We simply put it on good mode, and it makes good choices to maintain you in a state of optimum consolation.
The multi means, adjustable, massaging, ventilated seats and type becoming armchairs designed to nurture you for the lengthy drive but maintain you tight when it issues exterior clever. You’d anticipate a automotive of this calibre to deal with the finer particulars. The lively headlights alter robotically to keep away from dazzling oncoming site visitors. Each connectivity possibility is at your fingertips. There’s a lot driver help, I’d be right here all day itemizing it. Cameras all over the place, preserving you secure, preserving you knowledgeable. Most of the controls are metallic, together with the mode, the quantity curler for the supreme Naim stereo, paddles, organ cease air controls and vents and plenty of extra. Multizone temper lighting, whereas non important, is a pleasant contact, I set it as much as match the fashionable yellow line and stitching all through the cabin. Then, in fact, there’s Bentley’s bespoke program. You’ll be able to tailor the look to your actual specs. And, when you’re so inclined, they’ll even create matching baggage. It’s that stage of consideration, that bespoke contact, that really units this automotive aside.
Plugin hybrid actually is an excellent drivetrain, providing you with the perfect of each. Efficiency luxurious actually fits electrical help as a result of its immediacy and effortlessness. Nobody buys a Bentley for gas economic system, extremely, the hybrid delivers right here too with spectacular figures for a big automotive. It would plug in to any charger, and it comes with a complete charging pack on your residence, plus adapters for different places. With a automobile like this, you’re nearly actually going to put in a house charger. Then with a complete electrical vary as much as 80 km, spherical city journeys on the clear stuff can save petrol for the enjoyable stuff.
I can say this is likely one of the finest automobiles I’ve ever pushed. It’s sooner, higher, dealing with, extra stunning and gives constructive surprises on the upside each time. It’s simply stunning. It simply did the issues that I wished it to do. I drove distance, B roads, round city, the waterfront. I went to occasions and on dates. It excelled in each setting. It exhibited a confidence of highway holding whereas nonetheless offering driver suggestions in A means that leaves you alert.It was a pleasure. Velocity by title and velocity by nature. But nonetheless you drive it, it’s very good and immensely pleasurable, and possibly the perfect automotive you’ll ever drive.
