Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test-drivers. Enjoy.
The 2012 Bentley Continental GT doesn't look like a new car and, for the most part, it isn't. But along with the subtle yet instantly recognizable exterior tweaks, the new Continental has been tweaked to be a better driving machine. Bentleys are racing vehicles, don't forget.
The new Continental GT gets lighter aluminum suspension parts, standard 20-inch wheels, a 40:60 torque split (it was 50:50 before) plus an additional 15 horsepower and 37 pound-feet of torque. The final numbers work out to 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque from a 6.0-liter W12. When the car was released, Bentley said the 5,200-pound hypercoupe would be capable of 0-60 acceleration in 4.4 seconds.
And we've finally had it on our track to separate the marketing hype from reality...
Vehicle: 2012 Bentley Continental GT
Date Tested: 6-14-2011
Driver: Josh Jacquot
Price: $205,890
Specifications:
Drive Type: Longitudinal, front-engine, all-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Six-speed automatic
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 5,998/366
Redline (rpm): 6,225
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 567 @ 6,000
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 516 @ 1,700
Steering System: Hydraulic-assist, speed-proportional rack-and-pinion power steering
Suspension Type (front): Independent double wishbones, pneumatic springs, self-adjusting variable dampers, stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Independent multilink, pneumatic springs, self-adjusting variable dampers, stabilizer bar
Tire Size (front): 275/40 ZR20 106Y
Tire Size (rear): 275/40 ZR20 106Y
Tire Brand: Pirelli
Tire Model: P Zero
Tire Type: Asymmetrical Summer performance
Wheel size: 20-by-9.5 inches front and rear
Wheel material (front/rear): Aluminum
As tested Curb Weight (lb): 5,159
Test Results:
Acceleration
0-30 (sec): 2.0 (2.0 with T/C on)
0-45 (sec): 3.3 (3.4 with T/C on)
0-60 (sec): 4.7 (4.9 with T/C on)
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 4.4 (4.5 with T/C on)
0-75 (sec): 6.8 (7.1 with T/C on)
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 12.9 @ 109.8 (13.1 @ 107.7 with T/C on)
Braking
30-0 (ft): 27
60-0 (ft): 108
Handling
Slalom (mph): 67.5 (67.5 with T/C on)
Skid Pad Lateral acceleration (g): 0.88 (0.87 with T/C on)
Sound
Db @ Idle: 49.2
Db @ Full Throttle: 75.4
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 63.4
RPM @ 70: 1,600
Comments
Acceleration: Too much pedal overlap kills acceleration time. Small amount with carefully timed brake release seems to work. Best run with manual shift but that was coincidence. Column-mounted shift paddles will not hold gears at redline.
Braking: Long, soft pedal with long, soft effective point. Still, best braking run is very short for 5,200-pound car.
Handling: Skid pad: Lots of body roll even with suspension in stiffest damping setting. Could use more roll control. Big, but fairly easy to sense limit with ESC off. ESC On offers quite high level of performance without punishing hard driving. Slalom: ESC On nibbles at brake (individually) without ruining momentum. Throttle cut is minimal. ESC Off: Responds to lift throttle with rotation, albeit as slowly as expected for a 5,200-pound car. Still quite easy to drive.
blackdynamite0 says:
09:06 PM, 06/28/11
Two and a half tons.........OF FUN!
Good looking, too!
BD
smrtypants44 says:
10:11 PM, 06/28/11
Wow with the panic stop the front bumper seems perilously close to the ground!
wrinklebump says:
11:03 PM, 06/28/11
ostentatious, corpulent, awesome.
copmotor440cid says:
12:57 AM, 06/29/11
In the spirit of the Challenger vs 1M comparison how about this new Bentley vs an X5 M. Look at the spec chart- they aren't all that different.
2012 Bentley Continental GT 2010 BMW X5 M
Front-engine, all-wheel drive Front-engine, all-wheel-drive
Transmission Type: Six-speed automatic Six-speed automatic
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 5,998/366 4,395/268
Redline (rpm): 6,225 7,000
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 567 @ 6,000 555 @ 6000
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 516 @ 1,700 501 @ 1500
As tested Curb Weight (lb): 5,159 5,332
0-30 (sec): 2.0
0-45 (sec): 3.3 3.1
0-60 (sec): 4.7 4.5
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 4.4 4.2
0-75 (sec): 6.8 6.6
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 12.9 @ 109.8 12.8 @ 108.5
Braking
30-0 (ft): 27
60-0 (ft): 108
Handling
Slalom (mph): 67.5
Skid Pad Lateral acceleration (g): 0.88
kosmo69 says:
07:27 AM, 06/29/11
whats the N-ring time?????
chriso59 says:
08:16 AM, 06/29/11
I appreciated the different camera angles you included this time around :) Keep it up!
cr_driver says:
09:11 AM, 06/29/11
Can I start the parade of -$200K for this?- ;)
Not enough perfomance wise for me to feel comfortable paying $200K and knowing there are other more compelling choices and that even a $30K mustang can run with me. Naaah, not good at all feeling for me.
"I appreciated the different camera angles you included this time around"
Me too
By the way, that acceleration run was so darn silent!
agnh says:
09:59 AM, 06/29/11
cr_driver,
You know, one of the best things about living in America is that you can take YOUR own money and buy whatever it is that YOU want. You don't have to buy what your neighbor drives, or even what your friends tell you. Regardless of whether it's a Bentley or a Mustang.
bodyblue says:
10:26 AM, 06/29/11
Every time I see a car like this I shrug my shoulders and say "OK" and move on. I am glad that anyone can buy one in the USA but I am waaay to middle class to care about such cars. I would like to ride in one once just to say I had been in one however. :)
teampenske3 says:
01:14 PM, 06/29/11
Brilliant! I'll have one in the same shade of BRG that Bentley ran at Le Mans. And black out the grille. I might prefer the Speed version though. Wish it came with the 6 and 3/4 Litre V8 TT
A fantastic example of speed, luxury, and out and out wastefulness.
cz_75 says:
02:17 PM, 06/29/11
2.5 tons and still less body roll than the new Civic Si.
cz_75 says:
02:19 PM, 06/29/11
Did IL forget the brakes when listing the specs?
damaje199 says:
04:10 PM, 07/ 1/11
The color is all wrong, it just screams, speeding ticket, points and higher insurance rates wanted here now!
mrbacon says:
11:31 PM, 07/ 4/11
Kinda looks like it has buckteeth.
truecarfan says:
07:27 AM, 07/ 5/11
blackdynomite - don't you know that this car has a few last generation Audi A8 parts in it?? so how could you be excited about it??? i thought you dislike anything Audi has to do with..?
jazzy7 says:
10:01 AM, 07/14/11
Run silent, run deadly!!!