Bentley Motors will unveil the 4th generation ‘The New Continental GT’, equipped with an ultra-performance hybrid powertrain, at the end of June. This will be a world premiere.
The Bentley Continental GT, the brand’s flagship bestseller, will debut its next generation with a cutting-edge hybrid powertrain, a first for the brand.
On the other hand, the current model, which is recognized as the greatest grand tourer in the history of luxury automobiles and equipped with a pure internal combustion powertrain, will continue production until 2024.
The ultra-performance hybrid system featured in the 4th generation Continental GT delivers an astonishing output of 782 horsepower and a peak torque of 102.04 kg.m (1,000 Nm), allowing for a pure electric range of 80 km. Furthermore, with a low CO2 emission of 50g/km based on the WLTP standard, it marks Bentley’s most sustainable road-legal model in its 105-year history.
The New Continental GT will also come equipped with advanced chassis technologies such as active all-wheel drive with torque vectoring, four-wheel steering, an electronic limited-slip differential, and the 48V active anti-roll control system ‘Bentley Dynamic Ride’, alongside new dual-valve dampers.
The Continental GT, first launched in 2002, heralded a new era for Bentley. It drove significant growth for the brand, redefining Bentley for the 21st century. Within just four years of its introduction, the Continental GT elevated Bentley’s annual sales from about 1,000 units to nearly 10,000.
Subsequently, the 2nd generation Continental GT, unveiled in 2010, introduced a new lineup of more compact yet powerful 4.0L V8 engines, surpassing the W12. The 3rd generation Continental GT, launched in 2018, set new standards for luxury grand tourers through a new platform, engine, architecture, and technology.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr