Opulence on four wheels
It’s hard to understate the legacy that the Bentley Continental GT has had in the world of grand tourers. Now in its fourth generation, the Continental GT was the British automaker’s first model after its acquisition by Volkswagen AG in 1998. The second generation lasted from 2011 to 2018, and this 2012 Bentley Continental GT is currently for sale on Exotic Car Trader. You can check out the listing by clicking here.
The exterior may be finished in a relatively normal and pedestrian Glacier White, but the chromed hood and lower bumper grilles stand as proud accents up front, right beneath the famed “Flying B” emblem. The car sits on the factory 21″ 7-spoke chrome wheels, themselves a $5,000+ option when new, wrapped in 275/35/ZR21 tires for a commanding, yet suave presence on the road. The quad headlights were still present in this generation, a staple of the Continental’s design language for decades, while the taillights boasted the distinctive stacked oval look.
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An interior that will make you want to never leave
The party happens inside, where the Newmarket Tan leather interior is complemented by plenty of veneer wood throughout, including on the steering wheel, dashboard, door panels, and the center console that stretches into the backseat. If this isn’t what my office looks like when I’m a millionaire, then frankly, I don’t want it. This particular example is also equipped with front seat ventilation and massage, a rear view camera, and the Convenience Specification Package. That center console also houses a touch-enable infotainment screen, although given that this is a 2012 model, it retains tactile buttons for important functions like AC, heating, and seat controls. Today’s automakers really should learn from the past. The wonderfully analog gauge cluster nestled in that gorgeous dashboard shows a mere 47,480 miles, meaning this Bentley is ready for many more cross-country trips and curvy highway jaunts.
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Speaking of curvy highways, you’ll love what’s under the elongated bonnet of this majestic British stallion. Rather than opting for the twin-turbo 4.0 V8 engine, which in itself is a terrific powerhouse, the original owner of this Continental GT wanted all or nothing. They went with the 6.0L twin-turbo W12, a sentence that hopefully made you gasp, which produces 567 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque through an 8-speed tiptronic automatic transmission. In other words, this is a 4.4-second 0-60 mph kind of car, with AWD and a curb weight of 5,115 lb. That’s not to say that all of that is brutish power; after all, that’s not the Bentley way. Power delivery is smooth and classy, ensuring that you remain in utmost comfort as you barrel down the freeway to not be late to your wine tasting appointment.
Stopping power needs to be adequate for that kind of power and weight combination, but Bentley being Bentley thought about that. Up front sit a pair of 15.9-inch vented rotors and 13.2-inch rotors in the rear. According to Car & Driver testing, these beasts will stop the Continental GT from 70 mph in 162 feet. That was three fewer feet than the contemporary Subaru BRZ coupe they tested. Wild stuff.
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Final thoughts
There is a lot of car on offer here, and at $64,999, this 2012 Bentley Continental GT costs less than some full-size trucks do on today’s market. Consider as well that the sticker price of a new 2012 Continental GT was very close to $200,000. Sure, it won’t haul your wood home from Home Depot, but what it will do is show whoever sees you rolling by that you are someone. After all, don’t you deserve to be treated like a VIP before you even get out of your car?
About the author
Gabriel Ionica
Senior Editor, Autoblog