Bentley's Continental GT lineup gets new style and technology

Bentley Motors is building on the global demand for the Continental GT family with a suite of contemporary design updates and new exquisite features for its most successful model. The new models will be unveiled and displayed at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, with deliveries starting this summer.

A new front bumper combines with a smaller radiator shell and new, more pronounced fenders to lend a more assertive and confident stance to the front of the Continental GT. At the rear of the car, the boot lid is now more sculpted, with a pronounced aerodynamic profile to the trailing edge.

The V8 S and GT Speed also gain a new rear diffuser design to further differentiate the performance-focused members of the Continental family. A new 21-inch five-spoke directional sports wheel joins the existing design available for the V8 S and GT Speed while the standard wheel for the GT V8 and GT W12 becomes a new 20-inch, six-tri-spoke wheel, in painted finish for the V8 and bright machined for the W12.

Enhancing the GT's iconic silhouette further, three new paint colours are available: Marlin (a rich metallic blue), Camel (a soft golden tone) and Jetstream (a light, bright metallic blue).

The visual upgrades continue inside the luxury cabin of the Continental range. A new and contemporary straight-fluting pattern adorns the four generous seats, while the Mulliner Driving Specification (standard on GT Speed) gains a tightened, 'small-diamond' quilting pattern reminiscent of a tailored British jacket.

For V8 and V8 S coupe models, a new hidden storage compartment is fitted between the rear seats, capable of accommodating and charging electronic devices including iPads. Onboard WiFi, providing connectivity to all handheld devices in the car is also now available across the Continental family.

Under the revised skin of the Continental GT W12 lie three changes to the mighty 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 powertrain. Firstly, the engine receives a power and torque increase, from 567bhp and 700Nm to 582bhp and 720Nm, to maintain the model's reputation of effortless performance.

The power upgrade is accompanied by improvements to fuel economy of up to five percent. The GT W12 now includes a variable displacement system and the new evolution is able to run at part throttle on six of its 12 cylinders to reduce fuel consumption without sacrificing refinement and offers lower CO₂ emissions of 329g/km and combined fuel economy of 14.1L/100km.