The new Bentley Continental GT, featuring a 4.0 litre V8 engine also boasts a fuel economy improvement of around 40 per cent too, without-the luxury car maker says-compromising on its reputation for blistering performance.
What’s even better, for those lovers of luxury is that the car, first debuted at the Detroit Motor Show last month, is that the new model is around £13,000 cheaper than the existing 12-cylinder versions.
But is not just downsizing the engine that lead to a near halving of the emissions, a new 8-speed ZF transmission alone is responsible for a 6 per cent cut, a new cylinder de-activation (transition from V8 to V4 mode under light throttle load) is responsible for a 5 per cent cut, while variable power steering ( 3% cut), new Bosch engine management system (3%), reduction in weight and drag (2.5%), thermal management (2%) and lower rolling resistance tyres (1%) all play their part in producing a new more efficient Continental
Head of powertrain Paul Williams how the new Continental became greener and yet meaner: "We’ve maintained the performance by using high pressure twin turbochargers and direct injection for the first time in a Bentley. The 8-speed transmission has a number of benefits, optimising engine speed, giving a smoother and faster gear change and it is capable of switching multiple gears in one go – dropping from 8 to 4, for example, when you require fast acceleration.
"We have also spent a lot of time tuning the exhausts to give the notes that people want, starting with a typical V8 burble at idle, moving to a mid-range growl and finally a high-end howl."
The saving on fuel consumption means the car will now pass more filling stations with its 90-litre tank giving a range of up 500 miles, over 100 miles more than the current W12 engine.
The new Continental GT Coupe is priced at £123,835, down from £135,760 for the W12. Bentley hope the new, improved V8-engined model will help attract a younger and broader audience to the Bentley brand.
