Bentley Continental GT

Embargo: 19th July 2003

Crewe July 2003... Welcome to the launch of the Bentley Continental GT, the world's fastest four seat coupe, the first all-new and unique Bentley design for over 70 years and its most significant new model since the very first Bentley, the 3-litre, was first seen back in 1919.

For Bentley Motors, the Continental GT is more than a product launch as it is symbolic of the change that the company is going through. It is the first offspring of a new family of cars, which deliver unparallelled levels of refinement, craftsmanship and driver involvement - or as Bentley describes this combination, the ultimate British Sporting Grand Tourer.

At the heart of this combination is the company's belief that the car should be excellent in all rational parameters, but more importantly, should adapt itself to the character that the driver chooses. As a British Sporting Grand Tourer, it should have supercar pace, elegance, and exquisite levels of interior accommodation. As a Bentley, it must have all of these strengths and the capability to cover continents with power and comfort in reserve.

Just four years ago, the team at Crewe, set out to create something appealing and unique in the marketplace, and crucially, in line with the traditions of Bentley. The aim was not to create a pastiche of the past, but to understand the essence of 'Bentleyness', and then to carry this forward in a new and exciting way. Inspiration was drawn from the milestones of Bentley history, dating back to the 3-litre of 1919, through the R-Type Continental of the fifties and the now legendary Continental R; and the result is clear.

Rather than the customer having to compromise on comfort, luxury or performance, the Continental GT delivers 198mph (318km/h) top speed, prodigious tractability in all conditions, and levels of accommodation and craftsmanship that are typically Bentley - peerless.

The result is the Continental GT, a car that is as competent as a supercar, as versatile as our customers demand, and as expertly hand-crafted as any car from the home of automotive craftsmanship - Crewe, England.

Key points:
* An all new car, designed, engineered and built by Bentley in Crewe
* The fastest four seat coupe in the world. Top speed 198mph, 0-60mph in 4.7sec (0-100 km/h 4.8sec)
* A Grand Tourer in the finest traditions, capable of conveying four people and luggage in comfort
* Unique twin-turbo 6-litre W12 engine producing 552bhp (560PS) and 479lb ft of torque (650Nm) at just 1600rpm, placing it clearly ahead of Ferrari 456GT, Aston Martin Vanquish and Porsche 911 Turbo.
* All-wheel drive with traction and stability control combined with paddle-operated six speed automatic transmission to provide supremely safe and dynamic response.
* State of the art engineering and production techniques working in seamless harmony with unrivalled handcraftsmanship skills
* Car designed entirely in the virtual world, using some of the most advanced technologies ever used in the field
* Car designed not only be thrilling to drive but also supremely easy to live with, equally effectively as a recreational toy or serious business tool.
* Styling cues include pillarless cabin, minimal front overhang, pronounced haunches, distinctive 'face' featuring large inner headlamps, flush mounted rear spoiler that rises at speed.

The dream of building a new Bentley coupé is not new - indeed a secret turbocharged Bentley coupé was built as a feasibility study over 25 years ago - but it is only since £500 million investment programme that the dream could be turned into reality.

This investment has also enabled Bentley to transform the Crewe factory into a thoroughly modern centre of manufacturing excellence, ensuring not only that Bentley is in better shape today than ever, but also guaranteeing its design, engineering and manufacturing sovereignty as far into the future as it is possible to see.

Some 84 years ago, WO Bentley defined what how he wanted a car bearing his name to be viewed in one simple sentence: 'a good car, a fast car, the best in its class.' With the new Continental GT, we believe that is exactly what we have created.

Styling
The styling story of the Continental GT dates back to August 1999 when design director, Dirk van Braeckel was briefed to prepare a concept for an all new Bentley coupé: one that would use 80 years of Bentley design as its inspiration, yet look only to the future in its shape. It took just four months - until just before Christmas - when van Braeckel submitted his preferred design to the board of Bentley Motors. It was approved on the spot.

The key to honouring Bentley's design past without creating a 'retro' car, was to take the design philosophy that inspired cars such as the Bentley Speed Six of 1928 and the 1952 R-type Continental and use it in a contemporary context.

Bentley's design philosophy for the Continental GT can be quantified as follows: the car must have a short front overhang and a dominant bonnet expressed by the unusually large distance between the front axle line and the A-pillar. The pillarless cabin needs to be sleek and compact while the rear haunches should be taut and pronounced, giving the impression of a crouching animal ready to pounce.

Overlaying these highlights is a design language from the hearts of the styling team. It dictated that the Continental GT be styled to be curvaceous and sinuous with a form that appears and disappears like muscle on a gymnast's arm, sculptural yet lean.

Finally there was what van Braeckel refers to as the car's 'jewellery'. It was decided that brightwork should be minimised, limited to the door surrounds, a finish along the sill, the exhaust surrounds and radiator grille. But the headlamps assume a dominant role in the styling with the inner units being the larger of the two pairs in tacit acknowledgment of past Bentleys, and to draw attention to the most distinctive Bentley feature of all: the matrix radiator grille.

Interior design and style
The cabin of the Continental GT is designed to make Bentley devotees and marque newcomers feel equally at home. Those familiar with the Bentley way of doing things will be reassured by the expanses of top quality hide and fine wood veneers; those for whom Bentley ownership is a new experience will discover a new level of luxury, style and effortless good taste.

Bentley is one of few car manufacturers to retain seat design as an in-house field of excellence and the particular challenge with the Continental GT was to offer a sublime seat comfort with considerable front and rear travel, a multitude of electric adjustments and integral seat-belts.

Those used to sitting in the back of most high-performance coupés will scarcely believe the thought that has gone into creating the rear cabin. Far from appearing as afterthoughts, the rear seats have been designed with the same care and attention as those in the front. Back seat passengers sit well apart with deeply scalloped recesses for their elbows, allowing ample personal space.

The toughest task facing designers of all luxury car cabins these days is to present the controls and information interfaces in a way that is both uncluttered yet easy to use.

Bentley's solution is to use intelligence, common sense and ergonomic know-how to cherry-pick the best elements from both extremes, and combine them in a cabin that is both effective and attractive.

Most routine operations used frequently when the car is in motion - such as the cruise and basic music controls - can be operated directly from the steering wheel. Other functions such as the air-conditioning, navigation, computer information and more advanced entertainment features are individually controlled, but displayed on the same screen sited in the middle of the centre console.

All around the cabin, unmistakeable Bentley touches abound. Perhaps most easily spotted are the classic "bulls-eye" ventilation outlets with their organ stop controls. Then there are the stainless steel pedals, chrome instrument surrounds, knurled finishes to many of the ancillary controls, and the centrally mounted analogue Breitling clock.

The Continental GT is the first car to be fitted with a Breitling timepiece. Designed by Bentley after extensive consultation with Breitling to determine the correct proportioning, size and style of the font and needles, it features a classic black dial with white lettering while its hands are blood orange in colour.

Naturally wood and leather remain as integral and essential a part of this Bentley as any other. And while craftsmanship remains as important as ever, these enduring skills have been supplemented by some 21st century technology allowing, for instance, wood to be dramatically curved in a way that would simply not have been possible in the past. And while the leather is still applied to the car with the same loving care as before, it is cut from the hide using a new digitised process that ensures minimal levels of wastage and maximum efficiency.

Design
The design brief for the Continental GT was to create a car with as much room as the most spacious coupés, equip it with the performance of the world's most dynamic supercars and retain the whole within compact dimensions.

There are many questions raised by such a demanding specification and it took sizeable measures of blue sky thinking and detailed innovation before it could be realised.

One key to maximising interior space is raising the so-called 'H' point - the position in which the driver and front passenger hips naturally sit, and which in all Bentleys is elevated above where it would be in a conventional supercar. The benefits are many: first it means the commanding driving position - another Bentley hallmark - is retained and the driver and passenger's hip to heel angle is as close to anatomical perfection as is possible. Finally, and critically, a high and upright driving position liberates vital room in the back for rear seat passengers.

The result is a true two plus two, a phrase rather devalued today by being applied to cars with little more than a ledge behind the front seats. In the Continental GT it means a car capable of carrying two adults and two children in comfort for unlimited distances.

Another less obvious but no less important benefit of the Continental GT's design is the omission of a B-pillar. There are many aesthetic reasons for adopting the pillarless look, but for those inside looking out and particularly those in the back, the unbroken expanse of glass from the front to the rear of the cabin provides a feeling of great space and airiness.

Even the 370 litre luggage capacity has only been achieved through fresh thinking. In cars of this size, it is accepted practice to site the fuel tank between the boot and rear seat, the Continental GT's fuel tank, however, is under the floor of the car. It's a tricky piece of design but there's no doubting the effectiveness of the result.

Not only is there enough boot space to swallow enough luggage for a family fortnight away, if that holiday happens to be to the ski slopes, it will take all four sets of skis inside the car or two pairs of skis and a couple of snow boards. All of this mind, without having to resort to an unsightly and insecure roof rack.

Design Technology
The Continental GT is the first Bentley to have been designed in the virtual world. Using the very latest CATIA-based Computer Aided Design (CAD) programmes, the Continental GT represents a huge step forward in Bentley design technology. With all components existing in the virtual world before a single one is created as a physical property, it is possible to see how each part interacts with all the others, illuminating problems and conflicts that, in the past, may never have come to light until the part had been machined.

This process cuts down development time and costs and enables Bentley's engineers to design in reliability and consistency in each component. Indeed, one critical aspect of the design work now done in the virtual world enables Bentley to produce theoretically perfect component designs before the Data Control Model (DCM) is made.

The DCM is as close to a mathematically faultless physical model of the interior and exterior of the car as it is possible to have. And it is from this that are taken all the measurements used to specify the tools that will make it when production starts.

Designing this way results not simply in a better built product, it is also likely to be safer . Bentley's advanced Dynamic Crash Analysis (DCA) capability means much of the trial and error traditionally associated with providing a car with good impact resistance has been bypassed.

Nevertheless it should be understood that DCA, as with all virtual design work will never replace real world test procedure, nor was it ever designed to. Its role is simply to ensure that by the time these tests are conducted, the product is in as good shape as possible to meet each new challenge.

Powertrain
Even before it had been determined how the Continental GT would be powered, two crucial decisions were made. First, the Continental GT would possess a new level of performance that placed it among the fastest road cars on earth; secondly that performance would remain inimitably Bentley. Reconciling these issues would require a great deal of power, but more importantly, huge torque delivered evenly across the rev-range.

But if the car's packaging requirements were to be met the engine couldn't take up much space under the bonnet and this is where you discover that the secret of the Continental GT's interior room is, in fact, its under the bonnet. By choosing the basic architecture of the W12 powerplant used elsewhere in the VW Group, Bentley's engineers were provided not simply with the opportunity to develop it into a unique Bentley engine, but also to exploit its phenomenal packaging attributes.

Instead of using two long banks of six cylinders, the W12 staggers the cylinders in each bank creating effectively two extraordinarily narrow angle (15deg) V6 engines sharing a common crankshaft and giving rise to the 'W' formation.

This naturally provides a phenomenally short engine for its capacity, and frees space that can be reapportioned to the car's interior. Indeed it is the most compact twelve cylinder engine on the market is even more compact than some V8s.

The W12 formation provided both the power and torque potential that Bentley's engineers wanted within the compact dimensions they needed.

Once the decision to use the W12 had been made, it was necessary to change entirely its specification to adapt it for the Continental GT.

It was impractical to increase the engine's capacity beyond its existing 6-litre displacement so Bentley's engineers decided it should be turbocharged. Forced induction was first used on Bentley road cars in 1929, while turbocharging has been a hallmark of Bentley engine design for 20 years. So twin turbochargers was selected as the preferred means of raising both power and torque. Two KKK turbochargers were chosen and carefully integrated into the under-bonnet package. At the same time, Bentley's engineering team modified the internal componentry of the powerplant until all its power, torque, emissions, consumption and durability targets had been met or exceeded.

When they were done, the result was a car with 552bhp (560PS/411kW) at 6100rpm. But power is nothing without the torque to back it and this has been achieved not simply by providing 650Nm (479lb ft) of torque but by making it available at just 1600rpm, a speed at which most engines are little more than idling and stays that high up to 6000rpm.

All wheel drive power directed to all four corners

Having created one of the world's most powerful and responsive engines, it was clear that an equally extraordinary transmission would be needed to cope with it.

The use of all-wheel drive was decided in the earliest stages of the project as it was felt that this new level of power demanded a commensurate level of control. Besides, if the Continental GT was to be exploited by its owners to its maximum potential, it would need to be at home in all environments from the Santa Monica Boulevard to the compacted snow surfaces of Alpine resorts.

Nevertheless, in order to ensure that the right Bentley feel is provided, Bentley's powertrain and chassis engineers have experimented extensively with the distribution of torque to the front and rear axles. This has been done to provide the Continental GT with all the security of a all-wheel drive system but when appropriate, the added fun factor inherent within a rear-wheel drive layout.

Gearbox: six speed auto - the most advanced of its type in the world

Providing the link between the driven wheels and the engine is a six-speed automatic transmission built for Bentley by ZF and the first of its type to be used in an ultra-high performance coupé. The defining characteristic of this transmission is its ability to lock its torque converter in normal driving, providing the same immediacy of response expected of manual transmissions. Despite this, shift quality is so good that often the most obvious evidence of a gearchange having taken place is the repositioning of the rev-counter needle or centre dash gear display.

Tiptronic actuation means that the car can be used either as a conventional automatic or as a clutchless manual where gear changes take place only on command from the driver, via either the gear lever or paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.

It is a fair observation that a 6-litre, twin-turbo engine does not strictly need six gears. Then again, to look at any element of Bentley performance in terms of need is perhaps to miss some of the point of the marque. It's true that many Continental GT drivers will spend much of their time allowing the transmission to shift itself, however, Bentley also knows that most of its customers will be enthusiasts who will relish the prospect of flicking up and down the gearbox at the pull of a paddle or the push of a lever. Under the circumstances, six speeds seem entirely appropriate.

Chassis: a car for drivers and passengers alike

Perfecting ride and handling is one of the most complex and difficult areas of car design. For the Continental GT designers this job has been doubly tough, for few cars have been brought to market with a greater expectation of excellence in both areas.

Even so, by starting with well defined and ambitious targets and applying clear thinking and the skills of a 25-strong chassis engineering team to realise them, the Continental GT has been equipped with a chassis that should appeal to sybarites and thrill-seekers equally. The result is a car with firm rather than harsh suspension, impressive resistance to roll, pitch and heave yet compliant enough to ride poorly surfaced roads with absolute equanimity.

The basis of the Continental GT's chassis strategy is an extremely stiff body, without which, even the most sophisticated of suspension systems can be undermined. To this was applied the latest in suspension technology featuring an innovative double wishbone arrangement at the front - designed to minimise torque reactions through the steered wheels - and a multi-link rear axle behind. Extensive use of aluminium has been made to lower unsprung mass while the entire front subframe of the car is fashioned from stainless steel. Air springs are used at each corner, each one containing its own infinitely adjustable electronic damper.

These electronic dampers do more than offer a few different settings for the driver to play with. Within their set parameters they are capable of adjusting themselves continuously without the driver ever being aware of it.

Electronic stability systems: Unintrusive and at the discretion of the driver

Naturally both traction control and the latest Bosch Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) are fitted, though they can be disabled at the discretion of the driver - Bentley has no desire to dictate how the Continental GT is driven. The secret to understanding their function is to see them as additional to the Continental GT's dynamic behaviour, rather than as an essential ingredient in keeping a car of these capabilities safe.

The Continental GT is capable of monitoring a whole range of dynamic attitudes such as lateral acceleration, individual wheel speeds, throttle position and brake pressure. No car can defy the laws of physics and there are certain extreme conditions that even ESP will be unable to guard against, but as an extra line of defence for the unfortunate driver caught out by unexpected circumstances, its safety value is real and evident.

That said, as the most sporting road-going Bentley since the R-Type Continental, the Continental GT is a driver's car through and through and Bentley's chassis engineers - enthusiasts all - have been acutely aware that not only must the chassis have the raw ability to match perfectly the engine's phenomenal output, it must provide it in a way that indulges and engrosses its driver.

To this end, a huge amount of work has been done analysing spring, damper and anti-roll bar rates to ensure the car has the right sporting stance on the road. Exhaustive testing of steering geometries has been undertaken to eliminate unwanted torque reactions, and also to provide the appropriate amount of 'feel' in the chassis. In particular, the Servotronic rack and pinion steering has been evaluated to ensure it delivers the right response in terms of steering, but also feedback to the driver.

Brakes: ensuring the Continental GT stops as well as it goes

Braking will be provided by all new, ventilated and grooved disc brakes at each corner featuring the latest Bosch anti-lock system with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Force Distribution.

Once all the specification of the chassis had been determined, the Continental GT was put through the most rigorous real world evaluation programme of any Bentley in history, a process that continues to this day. From race tracks such as the famed original Nurburgring to mountain passes and sinuous switchbacks all over the world, the Continental GT is being tested and re-tested to fine tune its exceptionally promising chassis specification to provide ride and handling standards that don't merely rise above the class standard but define it.

Safety: prevention is even better than cure

Naturally the Continental GT is equipped with the full suite of passive safety equipment. As well as possessing exceptional front, side and rear deformation characteristics on impact, there are two front airbags, four side airbags and two side curtain bags that, unusually for a coupé, run along the full length of the cabin. Seat belt pretensioners are used for all four seats.

Of course avoiding the accident in the first place has always to be preferable. To this end the Continental GT is specified like few others in the market. All-wheel drive, when correctly exploited, has colossal safety advantages in adverse conditions, while the latest traction, stability and brake control systems offer further opportunities for drivers to extricate themselves from danger. And of course there is the powerful engine and its ability to keep time spent on the wrong side of the road during overtaking to an absolute minimum; and should you ever have to accelerate away from trouble, few will do so more quickly than this.

Positioning: a unique opportunity to bring Bentley to a wider audience

At its core, the Continental GT is the result of just three things: first a deep seated emotional desire within Bentley to create an all new compact coupé. Secondly there is VW's provision of the financial wherewithal not simply to create the car, but to do so in a way that gave Bentley a design, engineering and manufacturing lead over all potential rivals. But the Continental GT still would not have been possible without a concrete business case for producing such a car.

This case is satisfyingly straightforward and hinges on a clear gap in the upper luxury coupé market. In the past those looking to buy in this sector have had a straight choice between two differing breeds of car. The first was an uncompromising sportscar with minimal or no rear seat space and miserly luggage provision. Alternatively they could choose a rather more accommodating coupé, but suffer a commensurate reduction in driving enjoyment. Those who crave true supercar performance, response and style but need the flexibility of a car that seats four, carries their luggage and can be used everyday for all purposes, only the Continental GT will suit.

Although most of the 3200 plus people who have put down deposits for a Continental GT possess a number of cars, a significant proportion are buying to use the Bentley as their primary vehicle . Some 75 per cent of Continental GT customers are new to the marque.

The profile of the typical Continental GT buyer is also subtly different from the traditional Bentley customer. They tend to be younger, with an average age of under as opposed to just over 50 years. Men still buy many more than women, but their majority is decreasing from 96-99 per cent to a slightly more balanced 85-90 per cent. They are more typically owners of their own business rather than directors of public companies.

Progressive but utterly faithful to its heritage

In all physical senses, the changes the Continental GT has brought to Bentley have transformed the company beyond recognition. The car itself and the renewed factory in which it is being built mark the dawn of a new and thrilling era for the marque.

But in a less tangible but no less important way Bentley is actually returning to its heartland values, as defined by the founding vision of WO Bentley. The strength of any brand in this sector is the thought that created it, and while there were times in the distant past when that vision had become little more than a nostalgic fairytale, now and increasingly it resonates through the walls of the Crewe factory.

WO's proposition is as compelling today as it was 84 years ago. He would combine cutting edge design with outrageous performance and superlative craftsmanship to create a potent and unique motoring experience. Moreover it would have a purpose that took it beyond mere recreation and turned it into something of real use and significance.

And while it would offer great comfort and unquestioned luxury as it went about its daily business, so also it would possess a thinly veiled ability to turn into something very special at any moment.

He also understood that a good car will always be greater than the sum of its parts. A car may look mightily impressive on paper, but it all still has to gel on the road to create an authentic Bentley experience, one that makes the driver feel in his or her element whatever the conditions.

A true Bentley is a car that goes beyond satisfying the needs of its customers: it should exceed all expectation and do so routinely; it should possess an ambience beyond mere description, one that has to be experienced before it can be appreciated. Above all it should blend apparently conflicting interests as if they were made for each other, proving thrilling yet cosseting, imposing but subtle, a car with great presence but lacking entirely in ostentation. These are precisely the qualities the Continental GT - a true British Grand Tourer - has been styled, engineered and designed to provide and the result is a car of which WO Bentley would be justifiably proud.