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Bentley Continental V8s 2016 Review
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Bentley Continental V8s 2016 Review

By: 
·
June 20,2016
·
9 min read

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Bentley has been running since 1919 and was founded by a man called Walter Owen Bentley (MBE). Bentley started out making aluminium pistons for warplanes during the first world war, it was in September of 1921 that W.O Bentley produced his first car. Since then Bentley has taken part in many historical events such as the Indianapolis 500 in 1922 and 8 consecutive 24 hours of Le Mans Grand Prix d'Endurance of which Bentley won 4. 

The first generation Bentley Continental GT ran from 2003-2011 with the new facelifted Continental being introduced in 2011, both versions were sold with two engine types the V8 twin turbo and W12. As always this brand of vehicle is aimed at the small segment of people who have a large portion of disposable income, the select few that can enjoy this level of luxury on a daily basis. 

The Bentley Continental GT V8’s competitors are Aston Martin’s Rapide S, Ferrari California T and the Mercedes S63 AMG-S Coupe. They each have their upsides and downsides but if your budget is between 750,000 and 1,000,000 and you need four seats, it'll be one of these you choose.

Bentley Continental V8s 2016

So when we were invited by Bentley to test drive the V8s we quickly took them up on the offer and raced over to their service building situated on the quiet outskirts of Dubai. Once we arrived, it was clear to see why they are not shouting about the location of this building. It was unbelievable, all 2016, Continental, Flying Spurs, Mulsannes and the car we've been so readily waiting to land in the UAE, the Bentayga. About 10 of them lined up next to each other with one very special number plate on the last of in the line up. None other than His Royal Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Bentayga. Kitted out with the finest spec’s Bentley offer it was a true masterpiece of the automotive world. Now the whole office is waiting on that special call back from Bentley saying, come on then we've got one ready for you. 

Key Features:  
Engine 4.0L Twin Turbo V8
Transmission 8 Speed Automatic with Manual Shifting
Power 528hp / 680NM
Top Speed 309km/h
Price AED 850,000 - 1,000,000

 Bentley Continental V8s 2016

Exterior

My first glimpse of the Continental GT shook me, when you’re up close and personal with this car, actually being able to see all of the design effort and impeccable standards to which they hold the production of these vehicles by is truly breathtaking. We drove the GT V8s with the Mulliner pack. For the exterior this specific pack comes with stunning 21-inch black limited edition wheels and jewel fuel and oil filler caps as well a new colour Bentley have just come out with Gleiser Blue or Morning Mist. First of all the front of the car, its been made to look more sleek than the previous models with smaller headlights (Bi-Xenon/LED), more angled inwards than before. 

The sides are more aggressive this time around with larger arches over the rear wheels and downwards sweeping lines towards the front wheels, giving the car a slightly stanced look. The winged Bentley emblems behind the front wheels are art, it's the only way you can describe them. 

The rear lights have also been reduced in size from the previous facelift, making the car look smaller. The Bentley Continental GT has always been a large car weighing in at 2.5 tons and it looked big as well. What Bentley have managed to acheive this time around is make it look smaller than it really is by reducing the impact certain features on the exterior have, and it really does work. The exhausts look great as well and are stylish, not just your average 4 pipe deal. The car also comes standard with a new lip-style spoiler sits above the boot lid, providing greater downforce around the bends.

You may be interested in: New Bentley Continental GT Speed Launched

 Bentley Continental V8s 2016

Interior 

Once you get in the Continental GT, you enter a world of pure luxury, with cross stitched leather hide, a carbon dashboard and aluminium knobs everywhere. The Mulliner package for the interior comes with Quilted leather hides for all seats, door panels and rear cabin panels, indented leather hide on the cabin headlining, knurled Sports gear stick, drilled alloy sports pedals and if the carbon is not to your taste you can have piano black or dark stained burr walnut dashboards. 

I personally loved the carbon dash and the reason is, there is already so much raw quality in the cabin the carbon even though still top quality does do well breaking it up a bit reminding you, you’re in an extremely powerful sports car not just a land yacht. The thing is this cabin space makes you feel special, it's going to sound silly but it feels as though the car is taking care of you because you’re somewhat important and successful. It wants to caress you and make you comfortable. I have never driven a car that has made me feel this way, until now and I crave for it once again. One day maybe.  

The cabin space is spacious, for the front seats. The same can't be said for the rear’s with the legroom and headroom leaving you wondering is this a four seater? None the less it’s the same problems many expensive GT cars have nowadays, so it's nothing new and can certainly be lived with. Also, the boot has 358 litres of space, which means your golf clubs will fit in the back. 

Bentley Continental V8s 2016 

Safety

The 2016 Bentley Continental GT V8s comes with, as expected top of the range safety. This includes front impact airbags for the driver and passenger, side impact airbags for all 4 passengers, overhead airbags in case of a rollover and knee airbags. The Continental also come standard with Traction Control (TCS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Anti-lock brakes (ABS) to make sure you come to a dead stop as fast as possible. The V8s also has seatbelt pretensioners that automatically tighten the belts to keep the occupants in the correct seating position during a crash. I was interested to find that Bentley don't submit their cars for crash tests as to make sure they meet international safety requirements, but then again maybe they don't need to due to the R&D they put into every aspect of their vehicle. I think it's more a case of, we know well get 5 out 5 so there's no point in wrecking a Bentley. 

Have a look at: 2016 Bentley Flying Spur First Drive

 Bentley Continental V8s 2016

Drive

528 horsepower and 680 newton metres of torque propel this car from 0-100km/h in a frighteningly quick 4.5 seconds, with the acceleration topping out at 309 km/h. For 2.5 tonnes I can assure you it's quite a feat to achieve numbers that fast. From 4.0L’s it really is shocking how Bentley have managed to get the big girl to accelerate, I mean it's scary under 160km/h. This car would only take a couple seconds to get you years behind bars, so you have to drive this car with the mentality of, with great power, comes great responsibility, seriously.

The Continental’s air spring suspension with constant damping control works like a dream. You glide along at whatever pace you choose and never feel a bump. And just in case you do find a bumpy road you can raise the car's ground clearance with the electronic height adjustment feature.

The drive configurator (Normal, Sport, Track) button makes a big difference in the way this car behaves. In normal, the suspension is soft and the acceleration is smooth and linear. Sport, makes the car much more aggressive while keeping on all the stability controls (TCS & ESC). If you dare you can put the GT V8s in track mode, which we suggest you only ever do if you are actually on a racetrack, this mode turns all the controls off releasing full power and torque as fast and aggressively as possible which ultimately means your tyres or fuel aren't gonna last very long, but let's be honest if you can afford this car you can afford tyres. 

Bentley Continental V8s 2016 

Verdict

The 2016 Bentley Continental GT V8s is refined power. It’s luxury matched with really impressive engine and performance stats and everything about it feels like the best money can buy. If I could I'd put in a order for one tomorrow. 5/5 

 

Pro’s

Interior is top class and will always be refreshing to be in

The Continentals engine is fantastic, always being able to deliver power at a moment's notice

The vehicle suspension is very dynamic and always adjusting to make the ride as comfortable as possible.

The Sat- Nav accuracy 

 

Con’s

Rear seats are uncomfortable for adults

 

Check out Car Prices and Specs for Continental GT V8s and Competitors
Bentley Continental GT V8s

Aston Martin Rapide S

Ferrari California T

Mercedes S63 AMG-S Coupe

 

Editor’s Picks

Mercedes E Class Launched

Bentley Bentayga arrives in GCC

 

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