Launched alongside its coupé sibling, the new Continental GTC introduces yet another layer of appeal to Bentley’s popular modern grand tourer package. CAR Editor Ian McLaren has been behind the wheel of the new GTC.
Image: Bentley
What are we driving and why is it significant?
The first product launched by Bentley Motors under its Volkswagen Group ownership, the Continental GT was crafted and engineered to compete with similar grand tourer rivals from brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Manufactured at Bentley’s upgraded Crewe headquarters, the market’s enthusiastic response to this W12-powered coupé was so strong that within four years of its 2003 debut, it helped increase its maker’s annual sales volume from 1 000 to 10 000 cars per year.
Including a canvas roof manufactured by Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany, the first drop-top Continental GT, the GTC, was introduced in 2006.
Available in “entry-level” GT, elegant Azure, and sharpened Speed – with the brand’s popular Mulliner customisation programme lying in wait – the new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Continental GTC neatly complements its Coupé sibling in the modern lineup.
What’s new on the Bentley Continental GTC?
The fourth-generation Continental GT and its soft-top, GTC sibling are built on the VW Group’s modular MSB platform. Shared with the Porsche Panamera, these underpinnings enable the introduction of a new hybrid powertrain that, in the Bentley, pairs a 25.90 kWh (22.0 kWh, usable) battery and an electric motor housed within an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with the Group’s twin-turbocharged V8 engine. Delivered to all four wheels, in the “entry-level” GT and GTC, this translates to 500 kW and 930 N.m of torque, capable of launching both derivatives from standstill to 100 km/h in under four seconds.
Both body styles can be ordered with an Ultra High Performance version of this powertrain, in Speed, Azure and Mulliner specifications, which raises outputs to 575 kW and 1 000 N.m, respectively.
An undeniably sharper and more dynamic-looking product compared with its predecessors, the new Continental GT siblings are distinguished by a reworked grille and intricate new headlamp design, a sleeker profile and a bold interpretation of this model’s signature sculpted rear haunches. Together with standard 21-inch alloy wheels and a new colour palette, which can be expanded via the brand’s comprehensive Mulliner customisation programme, the fourth-generation GT introduces 68% new componentry throughout its make-up compared with the outgoing car.
Available in a choice of seven exterior and eight inner lining colours, the four-layer canvas roof of the GTC can be operated at speeds of up to 50 km/h, raised or lowered in 19 seconds.
Image: Bentley
What does the new Bentley Continental GTC cost in South Africa?
The new Bentley Continental GTC is available to order in South Africa from R5 795 000. This price includes a three-year/100 000 km maintenance plan, which can be extended to cover five years.
What are the Bentley Continental GTC’s rivals?
A decidedly more niche segment compared to where its Coupé sibling plays, the drop-top Continental GTC’s obvious rivals are the Mercedes-AMG SL63 and the forthcoming new Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet. The BMW M8 Competition Convertible probably deserves a look-in.
Image: Bentley
What is the new Bentley Continental GTC like to drive?
Long before I had an opportunity to revisit the Continental GT’s inherent dynamic capability and V8 soundtrack (first experienced on a rain-soaked race track in southern Spain) on a network of well-maintained roads in the impossibly picturesque Big Sky community of Montana in the US, it was the car’s newly introduced ability to set off in all-electric stealth mode, with a range of up to 80 km, that caught the attention. Efficiencies aside – with Bentley claiming an average combined consumption in the GTC of just 4.3 L/100 km – this feature unlocks a new level of sophistication and, indeed, usability.
Behind the wheel of a Sand White GTC, I’ll admit that I left the car in EV mode for most of my test drive, such was the relaxed and tranquil nature of the moment.
The fact that the Continental GTC is around 170 kg heavier than its already hefty GT package matters little when you have this much performance on hand. A toggle to Sport mode in even the entry-level car breaks the silence via a deep, though thankfully not too raucous, exhaust note.
With up to 85% of available torque able to be directed to the car’s rear wheels when required, the modern Continental GT is an altogether nimbler proposition compared to its forebears. While I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to explore the dynamic limits of the GT car on a wet race track, in a real-world setting, and with regular sighting of the local sheriff in mind, the GTC impressed with its mighty braking system (including 420 mm front brake discs), noteworthy poise and the ability to positively sling-shot out of corners. Helping here are standard two-chamber air suspension, active anti-roll bars, rear-wheel steering and an electrically controlled limited-slip differential.
Image: Bentley
Verdict
Not discernibly stiffer than its GT sibling, and with a kerb weight north of 2.6 tonnes, the appeal of the modern Continental GTC lies less in its still impressive dynamic ability and more in its additional layer of effortless sophistication compared to its hardtop sister car. That said, while an 80 km EV range is a nice-to-have feature in the GT, I think it’s the turbocharged V8 that’s the nice-to-have supplementary driving mode in the GTC.
I can imagine owners parking this car with its roof permanently stowed, waiting for the ideal conditions – like what I experienced in Montana – to take it out for a leisurely joint.
2025 Bentley Continental GTC specifications
- Price: R5 795 000
- Powertrain: 4.0-litre, V8, twinturbo-petrol + electric motor
- Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch
- Driven wheels: all
- Power: 500 kW
- Torque: 930 N.m
- 0-100 km/h: 3.9 seconds
- Top speed: 270 km/h
- Fuel consumption: 4.3 L/100 km (claimed)
- CO2 emissions: 98 g/km
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