Test Bentley Continental GTC Mulliner W12, the last goodbye (with video)

It's not every day you have the opportunity to try and squeeze the fastest four-seater convertible on the planet. Yes, I mean Bentley Continental GTC, the convertible body of the now legendary coupé of the british firm. In addition, we have driven it with one of the most special engines in automobile history, the 12-liter W6.0 with its 659 HP, and a finish Mulliner which increases its exclusivity.

That is why my recommendation cannot be other than to make yourself comfortable and enjoy this written test, the complete video that we have left you in our YouTube channel and that you can also see at the header of this article, as well as the various videos with curiosities and details that we have left you on social networks (Instagram y TikTok).

Bentley Continental GT and the W12 engine

The history of the Bentley Continental GT dates back to the beginning of this century, when the Volkswagen Group decided to enter the world of cars. Gran Turismo with coupe style and impeccable quality. With it the W12 engine debuted, which was born from the union of two engines with six narrow V cylinders joined together and sharing a crankshaft. In fact, it would be more correct to say that it is a VV12 style engine, and not a W12.

But leaving those details aside, the Third generation Continental GT says goodbye, since its generational change has already been presented. In any case, we have been able to pay this small tribute to the model and its engine, the most successful W12 in recent times. Eye, more than 100.000 units manufactured and a constant evolution in these 20 years. Unfortunately, the mechanics are also discontinued and give way to a plug-in hybrid V8…

Elegance combined with sportiness and canvas roof

The aesthetics of this Bentley Continental GTC Mulliner W12 are simply impressive. Each client can choose between lots of customization possibilities and even ask for specific details; all this with a checkbook, of course.

Our unit wears a metallic brown color with black contrasts, which are visible in multiple points of the body, such as the contour of the grille, the edge of the headlights, part of the mirror housings, the contours of the windows, the rear lights and even certain areas of the diffuser. I don't know if it's my favorite combination of all the possible ones, but it seems very successful to me.

The test unit equips 22-inch two-tone wheels, with the peculiarity that the Bentley “B” on the hubcap always remains vertical. Seeing it on the road is really striking. After the aforementioned wheels there appear some 420 millimeter ceramic brake discs, bitten by huge black pincers.

If you're wondering about the dimensions, the Bentley Continental GTC is not a small car. Measure 4,85 meters in length And even more to take into account is its width, with 1,95 meters without including the mirrors. In my case, I managed to get into the garage leaving just two fingers of space on each side of the mirrors.

A luxurious cabin, although not the most up-to-date technologically speaking

The interior is simply sublime. The materials selection, with real skins of the highest quality, the adjustments perfect and Goal attempts with carefully made seams they make us stay amazed by the cabin of this Bentley. Both in feel and appearance, it is a work of art created by authentic artisans. It goes without saying that there are also many customization possibilities.

In this type of car I like light tones more, but I would never say no to the combination used in this test unit. My favorite part of the interior, besides the incredibly comfortable seats, is the central area, with a aluminum console and aerators whose controls are reminiscent of the first luxury cars in history, taking us back almost 100 years in time.

I think the same about the central clock or the digital screen that can be hidden to give way to three more clocks, where we can see a thermometer, a compass and a stopwatch in classic style.

I least like that the steering wheel has the same layout as in Audi models. Logically, the upholstery has nothing to do with it, but the buttons and controls are the same. The digital instrument panel is not very configurable either, while the multimedia system is already somewhat outdated. It is not surprising, since we remember that it is a car that has been on the market for several years and, in fact, just these days it has been discontinued; so he can be forgiven.

On the other hand, we remember that it is a four seater car. The second row, honestly, is not usable for adults when traveling. Maybe for a short trip, but it is not the most elegant thing to travel or get in and out of the rear seats of a Continental GTC.

The W12 engine of the Bentley Continental GTC, what steals our hearts

As I said at the beginning, I love the car, but I think the real gem is its “heart”. Under the hood we have the last W12 engine to come out of the British Crewe factory. It is not a W12 per se, but rather the result of a fusion of two V6 engines, with a narrow V. This allows it to be almost 25% more compact than a V12 block.

Few cars, far from hypercars, have been allowed to have gasoline engines. twelve cylinders in recent years. You could count them on the fingers of one hand, and there would even be more than one left over. And be careful, it is probably not the most efficient, lightest or highest performing engine in this type of vehicle, but it is always a pleasure. carry such sweet mechanics In hands.

As far as performance is concerned, this 6.0 biturbo generates 659 CV between 5.000 and 6.000 rpm, as well as a huge torque of 900 Nm between 1.500 and 5.000 revolutions per minute. All this energy is sent to all four wheels, previously passing through an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

With this engine, the Bentley Continental GTC is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 3,7 seconds and reaching 335 km/h. Therefore, it is one of the fastest four-seater convertible cars on the planet.

At the wheel

Even with this very sporty configuration, derived directly from Bentley's Speed series, the Continental GTC is a really comfortable car. And let's not forget that it is a convertible, which is never as tuned as a coupe in terms of noise leaks and possible vibrations.

@actualidadmotor
Launch Control: Bentley Continental GT Convertible W12 6.0 Biturbo (659 HP) Mulliner It is a comfortable and luxurious car, but also very fast. This is how this Bentley Continental GTC does 0 to 100 km/h with the fantastic W12 6.0 Biturbo engine. By the way, it has four-wheel drive, develops 659 HP and its top speed is 335 km/h. #Cars #Cars #Bentley #BentleyContinental #LaunchControl #Cars

♬ original sound – Actualidad Motor

You can travel with it at high speed with a exceptional running silence, also enjoying a very comfortable suspension that perfectly filters all types of potholes you encounter on the highway. It does not reach the level of comfort of some range brothers, but let's not forget that it has a more sporty orientation than the rest.

Furthermore, with the engine turning very low revs thanks to some really long final gears because in eighth gear at 120 km/h we go at just 1.500 rpm, while at 160 it moves at 2.000 and at 200 km/h it goes 2.500 revolutions. On the other hand, in the city the way in which the movement begins from a standstill is really sweet, with exceptional care and progressiveness.

We can choose between four driving modes, one of them customizable to taste. The main ones are called Comfort, Bentley and Sport, with the Bentley being the most balanced. These modes change engine response, shift management, steering assistance, and air suspension firmness.

Can you go fast with a luxury car? I think so…

If you want my most honest opinion, I wouldn't buy a Bentley Continental GTC W12 Mulliner if I was looking for a high-performance car in terms of dynamics. For that there are many models from McLaren, Aston Martin, Ferrari or Lamborghini among others. The Bentley is a car designed to offer extremely high comfort, but that at the same time can go fast without problems, although it is not designed to go to the circuit, for example.

However, logically we wanted to see how it develops at high speed on curvy roads. So we have put the Sport mode and the transmission in sequential mode. You notice that the suspension stiffens and neutralizes any possible roll when making sudden direction changes, but surprisingly it is still not uncomfortable.

Furthermore, the exhaust opens its valves and the sound becomes much more intense, leaving some backfires when lifting the throttle, showing the sporting touch that has historically differentiated Bentley from its main rival, which is neither more nor less than Rolls-Royce.

Accelerating fully makes an impression, as this vehicle weighing more than 2 tons leaves us glued to the seat. AND there is no need to take it very high in turns, since from approximately 3.500 it is already very constant in its power delivery, feeling those 900 Nm of torque and noticing that more and more horses are neighing as we approach the red zone.

@actualidadmotor
Pay attention to this work of art and its sound: Bentley Continental GTC W12 #exhaustsound #cars #cars #bentley #bentleycontinental # w12 #mulliner

♬ original sound – Actualidad Motor

But of course, we could doubt its braking capacity. We would be wrong if we did. It has a very good brake feel for urban use or relaxed driving, but equally very modular and sensitive when we are rolling hard. Their paellas do not get tired, withstanding intense use with complete naturalness. Not the slightest sign of fainting, at least on public roads.

Probably The least exciting point is the direction, because it is very filtered. After all, a Bentley is a car that will normally be driven relaxed, so the brand is not too interested in whether a driver can have sensations beyond luxury, as it could even displease them. The same happens with the shift in sequential mode, which automatically shifts to a higher gear when reaching the red zone even in Sport mode.

Ending

I am very sad that the new Bentley Continental GT is not going to enjoy the W12 engine, which It will be replaced by a V8 plug-in hybrid. It will be more efficient and have better performance, but the classic style and exclusivity of a twelve-cylinder is unbeatable.

The new model has already seen the light and has also changed its aesthetics, forgetting about the double headlights. It's a matter of taste, but the Continental range, including the Flying Spur, had that seal. In any case, the most painful thing is undoubtedly the fact that electrification and European regulations have sacrificed his engineering work. Well, that and what A very small percentage of the world's population can afford such a car..