Bentley drops the top on the new Continental GT to introduce the 2012 GTC ahead of its official debut at IAA next month.
As one of the world’s most luxurious and refined luxury convertibles, the GTC has got a lot to live up to and the expectations are high. That’s why Bentley engineers have done much more work than just chopping the top off.
they’ve tweaked and uprated the chassis to make sure the GTC offers the same dynamic and engaging driving experience as the coupe, without ruining its unrivaled comfort and practicality in its class.
You get a multi-layered fabric hood is complemented by acoustic glass and under-body panels, for optimum noise isolation.
The traditional Continental qualities are still here, stuff like aluminium front wings made without the need for seams or welds that create the look and feel of a coach-built car, or twenty-inch wheels standard with three styles of 21-inch wheel, a first for GTC, available as an option, reinforcing the distinctive, sporting stance of the new Bentley.
Inside the cabin, this magnificent four-seater convertible features soft-touch leather hides, an extensive range of wood veneers, cool-touch metals and deep-pile carpets. There are 17 standard soft-touch leather hide colours with six colour split combinations, complemented by a range of seven veneers.
But it also gets a fair share of high-tech stuff, like the innovative features such as touch-screen infotainment, automatic seat-belt presenters and a Bentley-designed Neck Warmer for comfortable roof-down motoring.
The power comes from a tweaked version of the same 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine, with output raised from 560PS to 575PS (567bhp/423kW) 700Nm (516lb ft). It comes with a ZF 6HP28 transmission with ‘Quickshift’ system that cuts shift times by up to 50% and enables double downshifts.
The car does 0 – 60mph 4.5 secs (0-100 km/h 4.8 secs), 0 – 100mph 10.9 secs (0 – 160km/h 10.9 secs), and has a top speed 195 mph (314 km/h).
Pricing for the 2012 Bentley Continental GTC is 149,350 GBP in UK, 212,800 USD in America and 170,060 EUR in Europe.
