New cars seem to be coming thick and very, very fast these days. Whether they’re electric versions of old classics or new, pioneering breeds of supercars, it can be hard to keep up with the shifting gears of the luxury car industry.
But, when the craftsmen at Bentley release a new model, you can rest assured that it’s going to be well-considered and well-worth sitting up for and taking notice.
When the new Continental GT Convertible (or GTC) was unveiled, it garnered more attention than many of the other motor releases this year. And, while we all know that Bentley is synonymous with luxury, the GTC takes the storied brand’s design division revving and roaring headlong into the 21st century.
It’s not the hovercars of the Jeffersons, of course, but the unrivalled tech Bentley have introduced into the GTC does verge on the unbelievably futuristic. A 12.3 inch high resolution touchscreen in the centre of the console is the central hub of this — a huge deck giving you access to everything from Apple CarPlay to real-time traffic updates.
The design philosophy takes strong DNA influences from the brand's heritage...
The amount of flash tech risks becoming a distraction when driving — but clever old Bentley have come up with a genius solution to this problem. A three-sided rotating display neatly hides any distractions with either a veneered panel or three analogue dials — and it looks rather pretty, too.
This spinning console is the brainchild of Stefan Sielaff, Director of Design — and is one of his favourite features on the car. “The rotating display in the centre console is a fascinating detail that leads the customer into a digital detox mode,” he says.
Take a step back from the hidden tech and you’ll notice the design of this model is just as striking as we’ve come to expect from Bentley. Seated on a sturdy, wide base and a featuring Bentley’s signature ‘face’, this is undoubtedly another future icon from the British brand.
For Sielaff, the GTC “takes strong DNA influences from [Bentley’s] own heritage.”
“The crisp body lines, the power line and the haunch all include direct input from the Continental R-Type,” he reveals, “and the last two generations of the Continental GT.”
The incredibly British tweed hood option
Of course, our favourite feature — and one as British as they come — is the optional tweed hood. Pictured above, it’s the perfect addition for a modern gentleman and an extra that Sielaff says “combines modern British style with a traditional British textile in a completely fresh and unexpected way.”
Bentley fans will know that the original Continental saved the brand and helped it become the stalwart of the luxury world that it is today. This new generation of Continentals looks set to carry this success on into the future, keeping this British establishment at the top of its game.
Now check out what we thought of the new Rolls Royce Cullinan when we took it for a drive in the wild…
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