‘Very old-school 007’: Bentley’s new convertible
Bentley’s new convertible is swoon-worthy.
Contrary to what most pop songs say, no one falls instantly in love with anything, even a drop-top Bentley. That doesn’t stop the British car maker tugging at the heartstrings of the Australian journalists who’ve just arrived in southern Spain for a test drive, jet-lagged and open to suggestion.
The first time we’re introduced to the new third-generation Continental GT Convertible, it’s stretched out in the twilight beside a resort swimming pool, framed by palm trees, a tranquil Mediterranean Sea, a pink sky. You feel yourself swooning. The car has a restrained muscular beauty; its lines are elegant, the opulent Louis XIV-style interior magnetic. As the daylight fades, carefully positioned spotlights aim their beams across the lawn and onto the Bentley’s bodywork, giving it an ethereal glow.
It’s pure theatre. One must resist.
The irony is, drop-tops are never as gorgeous as their equivalent hardtops. To ward off the demons of ugliness, the Bentley team worked on the coupe and convertible at the same time, keeping the main styling elements consistent, including the more athletic design and raised rear haunches. The GT Convertible’s front wheels have shifted forward by 135mm, resulting in an extended bonnet and a lower nose. The sportier profile makes its predecessor resemble a beluga whale.
The test drive begins the next morning through the hills around Seville, with the previous evening’s car cabaret still fresh in our minds. But really, that’s the point about convertibles: they’re a pageant, an experience; introverts need not apply. And at this end of the evolutionary scale (the GT Convertible will be $462,240 when it’s launched in May) the theatrics are deployed both outside and in. The hand-crafted interior is awash with leather, veneer and awesomeness. A diamond-patterned quilted hide partly coats the seats and doors. Certain switches and controls are encased in an elegant knurling for added sensory enjoyment. The centre console rotates to three positions: one showing a computerised display, one with analogue knobs and one that blends into the existing veneer. Very cool, very old-school 007. Customers can choose between 15 hide colours as standard, and there’s the option of an extra seven exotic veneer species.
It’s not illegal to drive a convertible with the roof up, but it should be. Still, for the sake of research, we keep the lid on for the first 20 minutes on a series of gently curving mountain roads. The GT Convertible wastes no time in laying down its grand-tourer credentials, its effortlessly surging 6.0-litre W12 engine devouring tarmac and dismissing corners with the aristocratic arrogance of a car that’s 5 per cent stiffer and 20 per cent lighter than before.
The Bentley’s still-considerable heft – 2414kg – does mean it needs masses of torque to function, and thankfully 900Nm is available from just 1350rpm.
There’s plenty of headroom, super-comfy seats and a handy sloping footrest in the passenger’s footwell. Any cold weather can be batted aside with the heating in the seats, steering wheel and centre armrest – as well as the neck warmers tucked discreetly into the seats.
But let’s cut to the chase: driving a convertible and not removing the hood is as pointless as buying a speedboat then using oars. The Z-fold roof disappears in 19 seconds, at up to 50km/h. It’s now that the Bentley becomes animated, sentient, serving a reminder that grand touring in a luxury convertible is the ultimate motoring buzz.
The GT Convertible triumphs because it smooths over the bad aspects of open-air driving – wind and excess cabin noise. Having a conversation at 120km/h won’t require sign language.
The engineers have included among the four driving modes one that makes the GT Convertible feel most like a Bentley should, in their eyes. Everyone needs to ignore their advice and head to the option marked Sport.
Oh my. Now the GT Convertible transforms from a brogue into a running shoe. The throttle is more responsive, the steering sharper, the ride more rigid, and the 467kW engine roars in a way Bentleys aren’t supposed to. Even the exhaust gets more boisterous.
The PR reps said it could do 0-100km/h in an astonishing 3.8 seconds. On a straight, empty piece of road in the heart of the Spanish countryside, we stomp our foot to the floor. The physics punch you in the chest. You’re pressed back into the seat. The tacho needle soars. The hillsides blur. And then it happens, finally.
You’re under the Bentley’s spell. Resistance is futile.
Bentley Continental GT Convertible
Engine: 6.0-litre W12
Power: 467kW
Torque: 900Nm
0 to 100km/h: 3.8 seconds
Top speed: 333km/h
Price: $462,240
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