Geneva 2015: Refreshed Bentley Continental GT Bows

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

Coming off a successful trip to Bathurst, the refreshed Bentley Continental GT brought its family to the 2015 Geneva Auto Show.

Improvements to the GT W12, GT Speed and GT V8 S include revised front and rear bumpers, a new rear diffuser for the higher performance models, 20- and 21-inch wheels for the GT V8, and three shades of paint, two blue and one gold.

The revisions continue with the power itself, where the 6-liter W12 jumps to 582 horsepower and 531 lb-ft, from 567 horses and 516 lb-ft of torque. The W12 also uses variable displacement to improve fuel economy by shutting down half of its cylinders.

Inside, the driver’s instrument display gains a more contemporary look, while the V8 and V8 S coupes gain a hidden storage compartment that can store and charge electronic devices.







Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • RHD RHD on Mar 03, 2015

    That's a beautiful but very pricey Mustang!

  • VenomV12 VenomV12 on Mar 03, 2015

    Do they need a new model, technically yes, but in reality not really. They still sell bucketloads of them and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Go to anywhere like NYC, Chicago, Miami or LA and you can't throw a rock without hitting a Continental GT, they are like Camrys. They are basically the coupe version of a G-Wagen. One of my neighbors just got a black V8 one a couple of weeks ago, it doesn't look much different than the original, but it still looks great and powerful. Another coupe I can think of that can kind of go on forever is the Maserati Gran Turismo, I have yet to get tired of looking at that car. All they really need to do is periodically update the tech on this car and they will be fine. The new Mercedes S-Class coupes are probably better, but at the end of the day they share a name with the B-Classes and CLAs of the world and Bentley is still Bentley. What Bentley really needs to do is to get the Flying Spur's looks up to the Continental GT's levels and the interior tech and amenities on par with the S-Class and then they could get a huge sales hit with that car, I almost never see them anywhere.

  • Amwhalbi My 1972 Mercury Capri was my first stick shift car. God, I miss that thing. It was a blast to drive.
  • Vid169489471 The technology exists today to produce a variable color temperature (kelvin) LED lamp. It can vary from 2700k that soft orange look to 6500k the bright daylight with the bluish tint.Since everything in a late model car is computer controlled, it would be an easy task to write a few lines of code that enables your vehicle to not only dim down from hi to low beam but to shift color temp down to the 2700k range for oncoming traffic, then back up to 5000k once oncoming traffic has passed. For the operator it would be automatic and seamless. For older cars they could be retrofitted with LEDs that are 2700k on low beam and 5000k on hi beam. As far as standards, there could be a lumens max, and a minimum. Several States already have minimum lumen standards going back to the old incandescent bulbs. Why not update these to national standards.
  • Jam169859557 More regulation is needed for ALL vehicle lighting systems. [list=1][*]The lighting that is most blinding are the rapidly flashing red, blue and amber lights on emergency vehicles. The lights themselves are blinding, flashing so rapidly that it's impossible for even the sharpest eyes to adjust. What's worse, is the nature of the emergency requires a careful view of the area surrounding the emergency vehicle. There is something going on that needs to be seen. More flashing lights is not the solution.[/*][*]Brighter headlights need to be regulated. The tall riding vehicles do not need headlights positioned so high that they blind drivers in lower riding vehicles. And those heasdlights need to be aimed properly. When I first started driving my 2020 Subaru Outback, many drivers would flash their lights, hoping I would dim my lights. This stopped after I performed am easy adjustment that tilted the beam lower. Late model Subaru headlamps are designed with a sharp cutoff that project less glare above the hood line. When the headlights are properly aimed, other drivers are not blinded by the beam.[/*][*]Customized light assemblies make it more difficult to see the marker lights (tail lamps, turn signals and side marker lamps) that have been tinted. There are many municiple codes that prohibit this tinting, but these laws are seldom enforced.[/*][/list=1]Solutions: Tight controls on emergency vehicle lighting. In trying to make these vehicles more visible, a dangerous side effect is reducing the ability of drivers to see the surrounding perils.Headlight design regulations that reduce the height of the headlight assemblies. Just because a pickup truck has a hood that sits 4 feet abouve the pavement, it does not mean the headlights need to be so high. Owneres should maintain proper adjustments to their vehicle headlights.Establish and enforce regulation requiring a illumination standard be followed.
  • Stl170698708 as someone who hates big government, and their interference;but you can add me to the list of people that are blinded by the lights.unfortunately "the poop is out of the horse and no way is it going back in"They have had 5 years to make lights bigger, badder and brighter because in the vehicle work it is go big or go home!Trucks are the worst because so many people use them to express their dominance and that is big, big, big $$ both at the Original Purchase and in the Aftermarket world.If, we are so lucky to get some good government regulation on this it will also take some very good Court enforcement to get the aftermarket people with fines and lawsuits.Much like the EPA did with the Diesel Tuner Industry that felt emission regulations didn't apply to them.This is from someone that owns said pickup truck with the same bright headlights,but i only use the truck when I have too and always turn off the Fog lights when driving in traffic.
  • Art65765977 I saw a porsche 911 with the most amazing headlights from behind approaching the Sunshine skyway in Florida. The pattern was 108 degrees across sweeping the road like a broom. My brother and I were amazed. I don't know what it looked like from the front but i am sure it was better than American cars
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