2019 Bentley Continental GT Road Test and Review

2019 Bentley Contintental GT hero ・ Photo by Bentley

We didn’t drive the 2019 Bentley Continental GT at 207 mph, the super coupe’s claimed top speed. Although it would have been fun, the opportunity never seemed to present itself. Not on the way to my oldest daughter’s volleyball practice, not when driving her sister to school. Not even when the entire family piled into the $275,000 exotic to go out for pizza and a movie. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Newly redesigned this year, the 2019 Bentley Continental GT is Bentley’s second-best-selling model and its only two-door coupe and convertible. It’s undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cars on the planet, as well as one of the fastest, most expensive and most elaborately detailed. But it’s not an exotic sports car. Rather, this Bentley is a grand tourer that competes with the Mercedes-Benz AMG S 65 coupe, Aston Martin DB11 and DBS, the Rolls-Royce Dawn, the Ferrari GTC4Lusso, and various mutations of the Porsche 911 Turbo.

Any Paint Color You Want

Now in its third generation since the model debuted in 2003, the 2019 Bentley Continental GT continues to be built in Crewe, England, which may surprise you since the British brand has been part of Germany’s VW Group since 1998. Unlike more pedestrian cars, there are no trim levels to choose from on the Bentley. Instead, buyers can custom order the car down to every detail.

There are 49 paint colors offered, including seven different blacks, seven different blues, and as many silvers and reds. But Bentley will gladly paint you Continental GT any color you wish. “Yes ma'am, you want the car to match the rubies on your cocker spaniel’s collar. No problem. Step right this way Ms. Kardashian, and we’ll get you fixed up.” Buyers can also select from 10 wheel designs, 14 leathers, 15 combinations of wood, and a long list of other interior details like stitching and carpet binding. Prices start at $219,925 including a $2,825 destination fee, and our test car with extensive options cost $275,325. Yowza.

Photo by Bentley

Turbocharged 12-Cylinder Power

Every 2019 Bentley Continental GT uses an all-new all-aluminum 6.0-liter W12 with twin turbochargers, 48 valves, double overhead cams, variable intake and exhaust valve timing, and a partridge in a pear tree. It’s backed by a dual clutch eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and pumps out a very healthy 626 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. That’s 44 hp and 133 lb-ft more than last year.

The engine is extremely smooth and quiet, and it makes all that torque just off idle, so launching this car is like jumping to the speed of light. You know, like in Star Wars. Anyway, it’s extremely quick. And fast. The Bentley accelerates from 100 mph harder than most cars jump of the line. Every Continental GT is all-wheel drive and features launch control. Bentley says the combination is good for a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds, and the coupe has a top speed of 207 mph. Such performance is usually at the expense of fuel economy, and the heavy 5,000 lb coupe is indeed thirsty. The EPA estimates 13 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. I averaged 14 mpg in mixed driving.

Photo by Bentley

Drop-Dead Gorgeous Inside and Out

Before we get to the Bentley’s beautiful bod, a few words about the visual appeal of its engine. Looking under the long aluminum hood is pulse-quickening. The big W12 is as beautiful as the car it powers, with large and stylized intake plenums, a large Flying B badge, and symmetrical design. Even the sizable strut tower braces, which stiffen the chassis, are intricately detailed.

Everyone notices the 2019 Bentley Continental GT. Few cars have this much presence. But this is no surprise. When the original Continental GT debuted in 2003, its design was so striking that it redefined cool in the exotic coupe segment, with a mix of elegance and aggression unseen before. Although the shape of the car’s third generation is all new, its aluminum body retains the intense proportions and many of the elements, including its faceback roofline and unique face, that made its predecessors so special. People stop and stare. The Continental GT convertible, which costs about $16,000 more than the coupe, features a power top that can raised or lowered in just 19 seconds. Unlike some convertibles, the Bentley looks smashing with the top up or down.

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The Ultimate Grand Tourer

With a new longer 112.2-inch wheelbase and a length of over 190 inches, the 2019 Bentley Continental GT is not a small car, but it wears its size well. With a lower silhouette, a wider stance, and more severe cutlines, it just looks faster than before. And it is. On most roads, the Continental GT, which wears sticky 21-inch Pirelli tires, can run with the world’s great sports cars.

But this is no sports car. It’s the world’s best grand tourer, designed to drive great distances with great speed and refinement. The ride is comfortable, and the big, heavy coupe corners responsively with very little body roll, thanks to revised air springs, adaptive dampers, and Bentley’s Dynamic Ride active anti-roll bar system. You do feel the road in the Continental GT, especially in Sport mode, but it’s just enough to keep things interesting. And its high-speed stability is awesome. Cruising at well over 100 mph is effortless. Steering feel is excellent, and the brakes are massive and massively powerful with 16.5-inch front rotors and 10 piston calipers.

Photo by Bentley

Swank Interior

The build quality and fashion of the Bentley’s elaborate interior are extremely high. The gauges are simple and easy to read a glance. They look analog and have an old world charm, but they’re digital and feature a 220-mph speedometer and a large tachometer. The driving position is low, like it should be in a high-performance machine, and the seats are firm, heavily bolstered, heated, and cooled and offer massage.

The thick three-spoke steering wheel tilts and telescopes, and the large paddle shifters are well placed and act with a satisfying heft. There’s so much premium leather you can smell it the instant you open the door, and the classic analog clock is in perfect contrast to its huge 12.3-inch infotainment screen, which hides itself behind a wood panel housing three analog gauges when you shut off the engine. It’s very James Bond. To keep out noise, Bentley used new laminated acoustic glass for the windscreen and side windows, and the interior is noticeably quieter than before. This allowed us to better enjoy the optional 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, which is exceptional.

Photo by Bentley

Improved Infotainment System

The Bentley’s new infotainment package is far improved from before, with quicker response, sharp graphics, and that enormous touchscreen, which features smartphone-style features like pinch to zoom. It also has Apple CarPlay. The new system is shared with the Porsche Panamera. (That’s right: Like Bentley, Porsche is also owned by Volkswagen, and the two cars share quite a bit, including their aluminum structure.)

It does take a little time to get used to the Bentley’s ergonomics, which include air conditioning vents mounted low just ahead of the shifter. Large side mirrors keep rear visibility from being a problem, and while parking this long, wide coupe can still be challenging, its front and rear parking sensors and rearview camera help immensely.

Photo by Bentley

Many High-Tech Safety Systems Are Optional

Our Orange Flame test car featured the $8,260 Touring Specification package and the $5,280 City Specification package, which add many driver aids including a pedestrian warning, automated emergency braking, a top-view camera, adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist, active lane assist, a head-up display, and night vision with an infrared camera.

The fact that these systems are expensive options on a car with a $220,000 base price seems absurd. Bentley should at least make adaptive cruise control, a pedestrian warning, and automated emergency braking standard, as they are on many less expensive cars.

Photo by Bentley

Usable Cargo Space and Backseat

The 2019 Bentley Continental GT is a four-seater. And its rear seat is small and not very easy to access. Adults can sit back there if they’re of average height, but they won’t be very happy for very long. My two teenage daughters did fit. Some of the Bentley competitors offer more rear seat space, including the Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe, and there are many very fast and very extravagant four-doors available for less cash, including the 677-hp Porsche Panamera Turbo S E Hybrid Sport Turismo, which is one of our favorites.

Cargo space is larger than you might think. The Bentley Continental GT Coupe offers 12.6 cubic feet of trunk volume, which is more than the Mercedes. The convertible's trunk, however, is considerably smaller with just 8.3 cubic feet of space.

Photo by Bentley

Final Thoughts

Bentley has improved the redesigned Continental GT in every way. It’s more powerful, more efficient, more comfortable, more beautiful, more refined, and more enjoyable to drive. The result is the best-performing and most desirable Continental GT ever. Bentley has managed to add luxury, features, and technology to its sleek coupe, while simultaneously cranking up its sexy and dialing up its cool factor. And that’s not easy.

If you’re in the market for a high-performance grand touring coupe, the 2019 Bentley Continental GT is a very desirable choice. It’s a special car and it belongs on the short list of the world’s best.

Photo by Bentley