2013 Bentley Continental GT V8 - Review, Specs & Photos

by Benjamin Greene - duPontREGISTRY.com

The Continental GT will gain a new lower-cost submodel to broaden the appeal of Bentley’s best-selling car. Called the Continental GT V-8, a new 4.0-liter V-8 engine producing 500 hp will bolster it in the marketplace, combining with an eight-speed automatic transmission to hit 60 mph from a stop in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 188 mph. The 40:60 rear-biased all-wheel-drive system is retained.  

The engine comes about because of a commitment Bentley made to lowering C02 emissions and improving fuel economy in 2008. Its commitment was based around an initiative to implement E85 compatibility across its engine range and adding a new powertrain requiring 40 percent less fuel without sacrificing performance. The new engine is shared with the new Audi S8, which makes 512 hp and averages 23 mpg.

Although official figures have yet to be released, Bentley says the new V-8 will go up to 530 miles on a single tank of fuel. In the U.S., the Continental GT with the W-12 has a massive 24-gallon tank. If the Continental GT V-8 acquires the same tank, it would equate to an average (most likely highway) fuel consumption of 22 mpg, a large improvement compared to the 12 mpg city and 19 mpg highway offered by the W-12-powered coupe. The decrease in fuel consumption comes courtesy of a cylinder deactivation system, which utilizes a V-4 mode under light-load conditions; the eight-speed automatic also plays a role.

 
Setting the Continental GT V-8 apart from the front is a gloss black grille with chrome frame and center bar, a red Bentley “B” badge, and a new lower front bumper with gloss black mesh. At the rear, the V-8 features unique exhaust tips, a dark lower valance, and a red “B” on the trunk lid. Twenty-inch alloy wheels come standard; twenty-one-inch six-spoke wheels in Diamond Black (exclusive to the Continental V-8) or Diamond Silver finishes is optionally available.

Inside the cabin, a Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus veneer and short center console will be unique to the V-8 model.

The Continental GT V-8 will also come in topless GTC form, but Bentley did not mention a Flying Spur edition.