Design

The Continental GTC is an open-top 2+2 in true Bentley tradition. Its convertible nature means that every sensation of driving is transmitted to the driver and passengers yet the Continental GTC succeeds in offering something more for the senses, as Bentley Motors’ Design Director Dirk van Braeckel reveals:

"The sporting stance of the Continental GTC is unique and quite different from the Continental GT coupé, with its compact soft top and longer rear deck. And with the roof down the exterior becomes a showcase for the hand-crafted interior.

The new car blends clear Continental lineage with its own personality and character - a unique mix of sporting dynamism and the added elegance you expect from a convertible. That means the new car has simple, clean lines that are unimpeded by the shutlines and creases that so many convertibles and retractable hard-tops are forced to adopt in order to package the roof when it is folded. Head of Exterior Design, Raul Pires, explains the process:

"Our ambition was to produce a design that was simple and elegant - that was very important. We worked very closely with the engineers to get a very clean rear deck and bootlid. If you look at the front and the rear of the car you can see we achieved this by echoing the flow of the bonnet lines into the radiator at the front with the bootlid lines into the rear bumper. It gives the car real balance."

To ensure that the design was not compromised in any way, the Continental GTC’s engineering team was charged with creating a completely new rear suspension package that allowed the rear design of the car to be kept as compact as possible while still giving enough space to stow the roof when folded. Similarly, a great deal of time was spent on ensuring that the soft fabric roof is perfectly taut and not ‘bowed’ or ‘pitched’ when raised.

"When you see the Continental GTC with the roof up, the weight bias is moved towards the back," explains Raul Pires. "The glass area appears to be a little smaller than on the coupé version and the cabin looks so low that it has this great sportscar feel."

As on the entire Continental range, the GTC’s design has also been influenced by the need to ensure perfect aerodynamic balance at speeds close to 200mph (320km/h). The convertible spent many hours in the wind tunnel to ensure a low drag coefficient and like the coupé and four-door versions it utilises an underbody diffuser and specially sculpted rear bumper and bootlid edge to provide downforce and stability at high speed.

Interior design

By its very nature a convertible Bentley is the perfect car to demonstrate the unparalleled craftsmanship and luxury which abounds throughout its cabin. Robin Page, Head of Interior Design, explains the importance of ensuring that the exterior and interior designs work in harmony:

"With the roof stowed you immediately notice how the interior is beautifully framed by a continuous strip of stainless steel that runs around the waist line. Within this frame the interior is a combination of the finest handcrafted leather, wood and polished metals. It is the ultimate showcase for the skills of Bentley’s incredible craftsmen and craftswomen."

The symmetrical theme of the fascia, which echoes the shape of the Bentley wings, is reflected through the cabin and onto the leather hide tonneau cover. As with a tailor-made suit, the tonneau cover has carefully positioned stitch lines, highlighting its form and craftsmanship.

The front seats have a new sculpted rear which produces an additional 30mm (1.2 inches) of knee-space in the rear.

In the rear of the Continental GTC the centre console finishes with a veneered panel just behind the front armrests, therefore leaving the rear seats as an uninterrupted surface of leather hide, optimising the maximum space for the proportion of the car.

As with all Bentley interior design, great attention to detail has been paid to the jewellery in the car, using a mix of polished and satin metals, such as you might find in modern watch design. Between the rear seats there is access to allow skis to be passed through from the boot area. The boot can also hold two golf bags, and of course plenty of luggage, making this a truly practical convertible.

The inner roof of the Continental GTC is trimmed with a very high quality fabric that looks like the slung headliner in the original coachbuilt Bentleys. Customers have a choice of eight headlining colours enabling them to create a luxuriously light feel or a darker, more sporting ambience.

Craftmanship

The cabins of both GTC and GTC Speed are available with a choice of 6 natural, unbleached, laser-cut wood veneers and 17 premium grade leather hides, including the new option, Aquamarine.

The GTC Speed’s cabin is based on that of the Mulliner Driving Specification (a cost option on the standard GTC). It features diamond quilted hide seats with embroidered Bentley emblems, a knurled chrome and hide gearlever and a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with brushed aluminium switch surround. These are complemented by drilled alloy foot-pedals and ‘Speed’ logos to the polished treadplates. The standard GTC also receives a new Bentley ‘B’ brake pedal.

A range of options give further opportunities for personalisation, including fascia panels, centre console, door pads and rear quarters in bright aluminium. Uniquely, the GTC Speed is also available with a dark tint aluminium option.

Powertrain

Both Continental GTC models are powered by Bentley’s 6-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine which is produced exclusively at the company’s Crewe engine plant. The Bentley W12 is the most compact 12-cylinder engine in production with 48 valves and 4 camshafts with continually variable valve timing. Power is transmitted via a ZF six-speed automatic transmission.

The new Continental GTC Speed is powered by Bentley’s W12 engine in its most powerful, 600 bhp (610PS) form. It develops 15 per cent more torque and 9 per cent more power than the 552bhp (560PS) standard GTC.

Engine efficiency improvements result from the use of lower friction, lighter-weight components and a new engine management system, while twin, low inertia turbochargers with minimal turbo lag contribute to the W12 engine’s flat torque curve. In 600 bhp (610PS) form, the W12 develops a maximum torque of 750 Nm (553 lb ft) from 1700 rev/min all the way up to 5600 rev/min. The GTC Speed engine is visually differentiated by the ‘crackle black’ finish to the intake manifold.

This endows the GTC Speed with a top speed of 200mph (322 km/h) with the roof-up and a 0-60mph sprint time of just 4.5 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.8 secs). It also accelerates from 0-100 mph in just 10.6 seconds (0-160 km/h in 10.5 seconds).

The six-speed transmission can be left in two fully automatic modes (Drive and Sport) or used as a clutchless manual where the driver can change gears sequentially, via either the gearlever or paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.

The advanced continuous all-wheel drive system of both GTC models provides exceptional traction in all weathers. The drive is transferred between the front and rear axles via a highly sensitive centre Torsen differential. If the differential detects a deviation in torque demand between the two axles it automatically sends more power to the wheels with greater grip.

Both the GTC and GTC Speed also feature an advanced electronic stability programme (ESP 8.1). The ‘Sport Traction’ mode for the GTC moderates ESP intervention at low speeds, benefiting driver interaction and control, particularly on low traction surfaces. The ‘Dynamic Mode’ of the GTC Speed allows increased wheel slip at higher speeds compared to the standard chassis. This ensures that torque is reinstated more quickly, allowing the driver to exploit the full potential of the engine.

Brian Gush, Director, Chassis and Powertrain Engineering, comments: “The new GTC Speed exemplifies our passion for creating cars that deliver exceptional performance and driving enjoyment. It is a driver’s car which will redefine people’s expectations of what a luxury convertible can achieve.”

Engineering

The Continental GTC’s steel body has an exceptionally rigid torsional stiffness of around 30Hz that not only minimises ‘scuttle shake’ but provides a very stable platform for the aluminium-intensive suspension system, optimising its performance. Despite the boost in power and torque for the GTC Speed model, no changes to the body structure were required.

For the 552bhp (560PS) GTC, new low-friction dampers provide improved secondary ride (the response of the car to poor road surfaces) and even greater levels of comfort.

The GTC Speed has a range of dynamic enhancements that deliver a more sporting, open-top Bentley driving experience. The retuned Continous Damping Control (CDC) system ensures that the body response matches the inputs from the new sports wheels and tyres, while improved body control reduces pitch and roll when cornering enthusiastically. In addition, stiffer rear axle bushes deliver better axle control and turn-in response.

The GTC Speed’s suspension is lowered by 10 mm at the front and 15 mm at the rear for improved handling, while the retuned speed-sensitive steering system and solid-mounted front subframe, shared with the standard GTC, benefit steering response.

The wider 9.5J x 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, unique to the GTC Speed, are fitted with bespoke 275/35 ZR20 Pirelli PZero ultra-high performance tyres that provide the car with superior grip as well as sharper steering response and feel.

To ensure optimum aerodynamic balance at speeds up to 200 mph (322 km/h) the new GTC Speed is fitted with a discreet spoiler on the trailing edge of the bootlid. This provides additional downforce and increases the top speed.

For both models, Bentley’s carbon-ceramic brakes (CCB) are offered as a cost option. Larger diameter (420 mm front, 356 mm rear), lightweight discs and eight-piston callipers offer fade-resistant braking performance with minimal disc distortion under high thermal conditions. A 20kg weight saving reduces unsprung mass and benefits steering response and handling. This braking system may only be specified with 20-inch diameter wheels and are the largest and most powerful brakes ever fitted to a production car.

The standard-fit tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) allows drivers to select tyre type and speed range parameters. As well as monitoring pressures, the system warns drivers if their speed is too high for the tyre pressures or if tyre speed ratings are exceeded on winter tyres.

Commenting on the GTC Speed’s character, Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, Member of the Board, Engineering, said: “The GTC Speed offers supercar performance, superb refinement, comfort and unrivalled craftsmanship all in one car. It perfectly evokes the spirit of the original Bentley ‘Speed Model’ of the 1920s.”