Bentley Continental GT
Encyclopedia
Flying Spur
The four door Continental Flying Spur saloon was first displayed at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. The Flying Spur utilizes most of the technical underpinnings of the Bentley Continental GT, and was introduced to EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n markets in the summer of 2005. Together, the Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur have boosted Bentley's annual production from around 1,000 units in 2003, to 9,200 units in 2006.
The Flying Spur has 6-litre, 12-cylinder engine, configured in a W formation. Unlike a conventional 12 cylinder engine with two banks of 6 (V-12), the Continental’s 6-litre engine is configured in four banks of 3 cylinders each (W-12). This shortens the W-12 engine's length considerably, compared to a 2 bank configuration. The W-12 produces 552 bhp, accelerates from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds, and propels the Flying Spur top speed of 194 mi/h.
One notable aspect of the Continental Flying Spur is its grille
Grille
A grille or grill is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.-Spelling:In the United States, "grille" is used to differentiate the automotive...
. Made to look like traditional chromed brass mesh, it is a metal-covered plastic-core. This was fitted as a safety feature; it is designed to break apart upon impact with a pedestrian.
GTC
The convertibleConvertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
version of the Continental GT, the Continental GTC, was first presented in September 2005, and was introduced to several world markets in the autumn of 2006. With the second generation Azure, it is the second Bentley convertible released in 2005. The roof is produced by Karmann
Karmann
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known simply as Karmann, in Osnabrück, Germany was until 2009 the largest independent motor vehicle manufacturing company in Germany...
in Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
It uses identical powertrain
Powertrain
In a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive...
detail as the GT, and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62.1 ) in 5.1 seconds. With the roof up, it will reach a top speed of 314 kilometres per hour (195.1 mph), and with the roof down 305 kilometres per hour (189.5 mph).
GT Speed
On 1 August 2007, Bentley released details of a more powerful GT. Power is increased to 600 PS, with a top speed of 325 kilometres per hour (201.9 mph) and a 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds. The GT Speed can accelerate to 200 kilometre per hour from 0 in 12.8. The Continental's weight is also reduced by 35 kg (77 lb). Minor exterior changes include a tinted front grille and larger exhaust tailpipes. The price for this model is £137,000. The Continental GT Speed is the first production Bentley officially capable of reaching 326 km/h (202.6 mph), despite the fact the car weighs over 2400 kilograms (5,291 lb).GTZ
Unveiled in the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, the Continental GTZ is a rebody option by coachbuilderCoachbuilder
A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles.The trade dates back several centuries. Rippon was active in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Barker founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Anne's Guards, Brewster a relative newcomer , formed in 1810. Others in Britain included...
Zagato
Zagato
Zagato is a design consultancy and engineering services company situated just outside Milan, Italy.The company's premises occupy an area of , of which are covered....
.
GTC Speed
Released in 2009, it incorporates the same engine as the GT Speed and the Flying Spur Speed.For 2011 the GTC Speed has a twin turbo 6.0L W-12 putting out 600 hp and 553 lbft. with a 6-Speed Shiftable Automatic transmission.
Supersports
In February 2009, Bentley announced the limited production of Bentley Continental Supersports. The car was unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, announced by Jay Leno, to be available in autumn 2009, while North American cars would be available by summer 2010.The first Bentley capable of running on both petrol (gasoline) and biofuel (E85
E85
E85 is an abbreviation for an ethanol fuel blend of up to 85% denatured ethanol fuel and gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume. E85 is commonly used by flex-fuel vehicles in the US, Canada, and Europe. Some of the benefits of E85 over conventional gasoline powered vehicles include the potential...
ethanol), its 6.0 litre
Litre
pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...
W12 engine
W12 engine
A W12 engine is a twelve cylinder piston internal combustion engine in a W configuration. W12 engines are manufactured in two distinct configurations. One configuration uses four rows of three cylinders merged into two 'cylinder banks' , coupled to a common crankshaft - as in Volkswagen Group W12...
was rated 630 PS at 6,000 rpm
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
and 800 newton metres (590 ft·lbf) at 1,700-5,600 rpm - using either fuel. The car has 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62.1 ) acceleration of 3.9 seconds, 0 to 160 km/h (0 to 99.4 ) acceleration of 8.9 seconds, top speed of 329 kilometres per hour (204.4 mph), making it the fastest and the most powerful production Bentley ever. The Supersports is already known as the best handling Bentley. Bentley says the supersports can deliver 1.29 g forces on a 300 feet (91.4 m) skid pad, as compared to its sibling the Continental GT speed which can perform up to .98 g forces on a 300 feet (91.4 m) skidpad.
It includes a revised ZF
ZF Friedrichshafen
ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, and commonly abbreviated to ZF, is a German public company headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south-west German region of Baden-Württemberg....
6HP26A tiptronic automatic
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
with "Quickshift" system that reduces shift time
Shift time
Shift time refers to the time interval between gear changes in a transmission during which power delivery is interrupted. This is usually in reference to motor vehicles but can apply to any gearbox. Reducing shift time is important in performance vehicles or race cars because during shifting the...
s by 50%, and enables double downshifts. The car uses a Torsen
Torsen
Torsen is a type of differential used in automobiles. It was invented by American Vernon Gleasman and manufactured by the Gleason Corporation. Torsen is a contraction of Torque-Sensing...
T-3 centre differential for the 40:60 rear-biased torque split for the four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
system. Other changes include revised Continuous Damping Control (CDC), 20-inch lightweight alloy wheel
Alloy wheel
Alloy wheels are automobile wheels which are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium. They are typically lighter for the same strength...
s (with increased 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) offset on rear wheels) with 275/35 ZR20 Pirelli Ultra High Performance tires, advanced Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
Electronic Stability Programme
Electronic stability control
Electronic stability control is a computerized technology that may potentially improve the safety of a vehicle's stability by detecting and minimizing skids. When ESC detects loss of steering control, it automatically applies the brakes to help "steer" the vehicle where the driver intends to go...
(ESP) with switchable Dynamic Mode, Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic disc brakes (the largest and most powerful brakes ever fitted to a production car), 110 kilograms (243 lb) weight saving over Continental GT Speed, automatic retractable spoiler
Spoiler (automotive)
A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air...
(deploys at 80 km/h (50 mph)).
US model has MSRP of approximately $270,000, with early vehicles not having E85 capability, which would be available in summer of 2010 for US market.
In April 2010, Bentley announced a convertible version of the Continental Supersports. Pricing starts at $280,400, and went on sale in the Summer of 2010. The convertible gets the same engine as the coupe, but will receive a revised version of the ZF 6HP26 transmission with "Quickshift," cutting shift times by 50% and enabling double downshifts. The convertible also gets new, lightweight 20-inch alloy wheels that are 22 lb (10 kg) lighter than the standard wheel. In February 2011, Bentley succeeded in breaking their own land-ice speed record previously set by the Continental GT. They managed to bring a slightly modified Supersports Convertible to 205.48 MPH in Finland, verified by the Guinness World Records.
Continental GT
A revised Continental GT was announced for the 2011 model year. The first model, and only model announced through November 2010, is the coupe. In addition to the W12 engine that carries over from the first generation with updates, the new model will also be available with a 4.0 L V8 engine.World Speed Record on Ice
In early 2007, a Bentley Continental GT Speed, driven by four-time World Rally Champion Juha KankkunenJuha Kankkunen
Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series...
, broke the World Speed Record on Ice - on the frozen Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
near Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. It averaged 321.6 kilometres per hour (199.83 mph) in both directions on the "flying kilometre", reaching a maximum speed of 331 km/h (205.67 mph). The previous record was 296 km/h (183.9 mph), achieved with a Bugatti
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
EB110 Supersport. The record-breaking Bentley was largely standard except for a roll-cage, aerodynamic improvements, and low-temperature fuel and calibration.
On February 15, 2011 Kankkunen broke the record again, reaching an average speed of 331 km/h (205.67 mph) in a convertible Bentley Continental Supersports. Bentley announced that a limited edition of the car would be released to celebrate the achievement. On March 6, 2011 Nokian Tyres, piloting an Audi RS6
Audi RS6
The Audi RS6 quattro, commonly referred to as the RS6, is the highest performing version, and top-of-the-line specification of the Audi A6, positioned above the Audi S6...
, took the ice speed record in Finland, clocking a top speed of 206.05 mi/h in freezing conditions.