Bentley isn’t necessarily trying to compete with the versatility of the Porsche 911, but it also wouldn’t mind if the Continental GT stretched its legs
The Bentley Continental GT debuted in 2002 and, arguably, saved the marque from extinction, ushering it into the 21st century and, now, beyond, with a fourth generation introduced last year. Bentley thinks there’s even more room for the Continental GT to grow, though, primarily with horsepower.
The Continental GT is currently powered by a hybrid twin-turbo V-8 that makes 671 horsepower in its base model and goes from zero to 62 mph (99.8 km/hr) in 3.7 seconds with a max speed of 168 mph. Those are respectable numbers for any car, and especially an ultra-luxury one. Still, Bentley is thinking about other possible versions of the Continental GT, either with more power, more luxury, or both. Its new CEO, Frank-Steffen Walliser, had a long, distinguished career at Porsche, and perhaps because of that even has the 911 in mind.
“We can go further to the edges with the GT, to both extremes—luxury and performance, especially with performance,” Walliser said in a recent interview with Evo. “There is more we can offer. I don’t mean to offer the same level of models as the 911, but certainly more variety to bring in more customers, not move them around from model to model.”
Beyond the Continental GT, Walliser has a lot on his plate, including considering whether Bentley should return to racing (not anytime soon, it sounds like) and managing the brand’s transition to electric cars, which is still happening, albeit at a slower pace than originally planned.
Walliser said Bentley would keep making internal-combustion-engine cars as long as regulations allow. The first Bentley EV could arrive next year, or in 2027, but it is part of a host of new electrified models the marque has planned for introduction between now and 2035. That debut EV will be an all-new model, in fact, not an existing car. It will be a luxury SUV designed for city streets.
“The company was in a much better position than I expected,” the CEO said. “I knew it was performing strongly—it had a very good product investment and investment in Crewe—and the Beyond100+ strategy is very solid. But it’s a British company, so it was performing much stronger than I and others outside thought. It’s not very British to show confidence.”
This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by Bentley
