If you're looking for a new car, here is an option;
Bentley's Continental GT Speed Convertible is so new that pricing has not yet been announced.
The 6-liter W-12 engine makes use of twin turbochargers to produce 616 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The eight-speed ZF automatic transmission runs power to an all-wheel-drive system, while an air suspension softens or tightens the ride, depending on what the driver has in mind. That drivetrain technology has to be worth a hundred grand by itself.
I should also give it credit for the near-seamless construction of its body, with lines that hearken to 1940s automotive design. And then there are the double-paned windows, which deaden exterior sound like nothing else. Thick leather covers comfortable seats that massaged my back on the final stretch of a long drive. Richly grained wood covered the dashboard, with inset chrome metal vents. A Breitling clock, set into the middle of the dashboard, would certainly cost a few grand in watch form.
This GT Speed Convertible came with the optional audio system from Naim, Bentley's partner for premium audio.
At speed, the ceiling liner remained perfectly still, experiencing no buffeting from the wind whipping by overhead. When I toggled a metal switch on the console, the top lifted up, folded back, then stowed itself away under an automatic tonneau cover, smoothly and in quick time.
The most hard-core Sport setting for the suspension certainly made a difference in the ride quality, but it never got down to a pavement-grinding level. The GT Speed Convertible felt like a lighter car on the twists of a mountain road, and seemed to be able to take a lot more than I was throwing at it. On one tight turn, the pavement a little damp, it got loose, putting its tail out when I tried to correct.
The steering tightens up a little bit at speed, but on these sharp corners the wheel tended to feel light, too easy to turn. Bentley uses ZF's Servotronic power steering, a hydraulically boosted system with electronic controls. Given the size and luxury of the car, it felt like most road feel had been tuned out. The GT Speed Convertible shows the road what it wants to do, rather than letting the road dictate behavior.
Bentley's Continental GT Speed Convertible is so new that pricing has not yet been announced.
The 6-liter W-12 engine makes use of twin turbochargers to produce 616 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The eight-speed ZF automatic transmission runs power to an all-wheel-drive system, while an air suspension softens or tightens the ride, depending on what the driver has in mind. That drivetrain technology has to be worth a hundred grand by itself.I should also give it credit for the near-seamless construction of its body, with lines that hearken to 1940s automotive design. And then there are the double-paned windows, which deaden exterior sound like nothing else. Thick leather covers comfortable seats that massaged my back on the final stretch of a long drive. Richly grained wood covered the dashboard, with inset chrome metal vents. A Breitling clock, set into the middle of the dashboard, would certainly cost a few grand in watch form.
This GT Speed Convertible came with the optional audio system from Naim, Bentley's partner for premium audio.
At speed, the ceiling liner remained perfectly still, experiencing no buffeting from the wind whipping by overhead. When I toggled a metal switch on the console, the top lifted up, folded back, then stowed itself away under an automatic tonneau cover, smoothly and in quick time.
The most hard-core Sport setting for the suspension certainly made a difference in the ride quality, but it never got down to a pavement-grinding level. The GT Speed Convertible felt like a lighter car on the twists of a mountain road, and seemed to be able to take a lot more than I was throwing at it. On one tight turn, the pavement a little damp, it got loose, putting its tail out when I tried to correct.
The steering tightens up a little bit at speed, but on these sharp corners the wheel tended to feel light, too easy to turn. Bentley uses ZF's Servotronic power steering, a hydraulically boosted system with electronic controls. Given the size and luxury of the car, it felt like most road feel had been tuned out. The GT Speed Convertible shows the road what it wants to do, rather than letting the road dictate behavior.
