Bentley starts production of the new Continental GT

Bentley has started production of the new Continental GT, just in time to mark the 136^th birthday of Walter Owen Bentley.

The first car to roll off the production line is built to the same specification as the car featured in the unofficial 'Underwater Speed Record' launch film, with an exterior in Tourmaline Green and a Gravity Grey and Mandarin interior.

This car is set to serve as a U.K. press fleet car, after which it will join Bentley’s Heritage Collection, expanding the collection to a total of 45 cars. The latest addition means that Bentley’s Heritage Collection now stretches across its entire 105-year history, starting with the 1919 3-Litre EXP2 - the oldest Bentley in the world.

Production of customer cars follows this example, with each one built to one of the 46 billion configurations possible through the firm's extensive standard options list.

The new Continental GT now comes powered by the firm’s Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain which delivers a total of 717bhp and 1,000Nm of torque, allowing the grand tourer to offer a total range of 859km alongside an electric-only range of 81km, while crushing the century sprint in just 3.1 seconds.