Coming this September to the Frankfurt Motor Show is Bentley’s second generation Continental GTC grand touring convertible. Entering the 2012 model year, the GTC is the sister to the second generation Continental GT Coupe that was launched last year. Gone are the, according to Bentley, “elegant and understated” lines of the first generation Continental, replaced with a more muscular and contemporary body. In all honesty, there really isn’t much of an aesthetic difference but the 2012 does have much sharper and bolder fenders, especially in the rear. The front is slightly more bulky, as if the GTC actually did go to the gym for a few months. It is a very pretty car, but people will be hard pressed to spot the 2012 from the 2011.
Inside, the four seat grand touring experience is just as luxurious but with a tad more interior volume. More cubby holds are present for 2012 as well as more rear leg room and a touch screen media control center. The biggest change however can be found underneath. The track is wider, the steering is quicker and suspension has all be retuned. The standard all wheel drive system has been reworked as well to deliver a torque split of 40:60 front to back. This should allow for less understeer and more tail-out antics compared to the first generation GTC’s 50:50 torque split.
Pop the hood of the 2012 GTC and you will find the familiar 6.0 liter, DOHC twin turbocharged W12. Power is up from the previous GTC to 567 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. To make the Continental slightly less of a detriment to nature, the GTC now has the ability to run Flexfuel. Behind the monster W12 is a familiar face: the ZF built six speed automatic. The shift mapping has been retooled to feature “Quickshift”, a system that cuts shift times by up to 50 percent and allows for double downshifts. 60 mph will be found in just 4.5 seconds; remarkable for a car weighing over 5,000 lbs.
