Bentley Continental GT V8 brings the motor to Motor City

Zach Bowman — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Bentley, Luxury

Bentley has at last debuted its latest beast at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The Continental GT V8 arrived in the Motor City boasting a new compact 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 under its hood. With 500 horsepower and 481 pound-feet of torque on tap, the ultra-luxury coupe offers buyers heaps of performance in an efficient package. Well, efficient by Bentley standards, anyway. The company says the Continental GT V8 has an effective range of 500 miles, which translates to roughly 21 mpg. That's not a Prius-besting figure by any stretch, but it's far from embarrassing given the globe-spinning amount of power on tap.

Much of that efficiency comes from the fact that the 4.0-liter V8 makes use of cylinder deactivation when the driver maintains speed or decelerates. The engine automatically drops to four-cylinder power in those situations, though the remaining cylinders pick up the instant the driver tips into the throttle.

Bentley says the Conti V8 can jump to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 188 mph thanks in part to its eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive system. The company also says the Continental GT V8 and the Continental GTC V8 will be sold right alongside the standard Continental GT models with their more potent W12 engine. Click past the jump for the full press release.

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Bentley Continental GT V8 brings the motor to Motor City originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bentley bringing 500-hp, twin-turbo V8 Continental to Detroit

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:45:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Bentley, Luxury

The Bentley Continental GT and GTC V8 has been unwrapped and it's a kinder, gentler bulldog that makes do with "just" 500 horsepower and 481 pound-feet from its 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8. That is down 20 horsepower and up just 8 pound-feet from the output of the Audi S8, with which it shares the innovatively-packaged, cylinder-deactivating V8. We're going to guess that's to leave unquestionable space between it and the 631-hp Continental GT, and so Bentley could reach its 40 percent improvement goal with respect to emissions and gas mileage.

Specific numbers aren't divulged just yet, but it will get from standstill to 60 mph in under five seconds and will go more than 500 miles on a tank. Unless the tank size has changed from the 24-gallon receptacle in the big daddy W12, which we doubt, that means the V8 is good for at least 21 miles per gallon.

You'll be able to tell this one apart by its black grille with chrome accents, red Bentley "B" badge (red badges were traditionally used on sportier Bentleys, so we're not sure if that's meant to be a sign of this coupe's performance vs. the W12) and reworked treatment of the lower grille. The package rides on 20-inch wheels, same size as the flagship GT, but in back you'll find "figure-eight" tailpipes (which will quickly be swapped for something less obvious) and another red badge.

Both coupe and sedan will introduce themselves to rich buyers and not-so-rich voyeurs at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. You'll find a press release after the jump with obligatory references to inconceivable colors like Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus, and a high-res gallery of photos for much more understandable pleasures above.

Continue reading Bentley bringing 500-hp, twin-turbo V8 Continental to Detroit

Bentley bringing 500-hp, twin-turbo V8 Continental to Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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