Body style: Convertible (spider/spyder, cabrio/cabriolet, drop/open/soft top)
Segment: Luxury
Production years: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Bentley has been making open-top grand tourers for almost a century when it unveiled the 2013 Continental GTC at the 2012 North American International Auto Show.
The British automaker introduced the second generation of the Continental in 2011 in coupe shape and waited for another year before revealing the open-top version of it, namely the GTC. It was created to provide comfortable rides on long distances, with the top up or down, depending on occupants' moods and weather. Even though it didn't have any problem providing a retractable hard-top solution, the automaker considered that a triple-layer canvas top was much more appropriate to the customers of the luxurious convertibles segment.
While at first sight, it didn't look like a new vehicle, there were significant changes to the car. No panel was similar to the ones installed on the previous generation of the GTC. At the front, it also featured four headlights but with a sleeker design and integrated LEDs for the daytime running lights that looked like luminescent pearls. The mesh grille on the upper grille was complemented by a set of three lower air intakes that increased the cooling area. From its profile, the car shared several parts with its coupe sibling, such as the front fenders and door panels. Still, the A-pillars that supported the windshield were thicker and served as roll-over protection. At the back, the GTC sported a flat deck, and underneath the bumper, the automaker placed two thin elliptical chromed exhausts.
The cabin boasted a high level of luxury, featuring leather-wrapped seats. At the front, there was a set of bolstered bucket seats, while in the back, the GTC was fitted with a bench seat profiled for two. Due to the compartment for the retractable roof, legroom was smaller than in the GT Coupe but was still enough for adults, mostly on short jaunts. The driver fronted a dashboard adorned with metallic trims and a binocular-style instrument cluster where the tachometer and the speedometer flanked a TFT display and two additional gauges for fuel level and water temperature. On the center stack, the automaker installed a touchscreen for the infotainment system.
Under the hood, the automaker installed a choice of four engines ranging from 507 PS (500 hp) to 635 PS (626 hp) V8 or W16, respectively. Interestingly, the V8 twin-turbocharged powerplant featured an active cylinder deactivation system that allows the car to run on a V4 scheme. Power for all versions went into all four corners via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Bentley knew that some of its customers would just want to cruise slowly on highways or in cities while others would want to check the vehicle's top speed, so it offered its customers every new piece of technology that it had in its sleeves.
ENGINE SPECS - 6.0L W12 8AT AWD (575 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | W12 |
Displacement: | 5998 cm3 |
Power: | 423 KW @ 6000 RPM 575 HP @ 6000 RPM 567 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 516 lb-ft @ 1700 RPM 700 Nm @ 1700 RPM |
Fuel System: | Turbocharged Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 23.8 gallons (90.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 195 mph (314 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 4.7 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 8-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated discs |
Rear: | Ventilated disc |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 275/40 R20 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 189.2 in (4806 mm) |
Width: | 76.5 in (1943 mm) |
Height: | 55.2 in (1402 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 65.5/65.2 in (1,664/1,656 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 108.1 in (2746 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.5 in (114 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 9.2 cuFT (261 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.31 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 5501 lbs (2495 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6393 lbs (2900 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 14.1 mpg US (16.7 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 27.7 mpg US (8.5 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 19 mpg US (12.4 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 347 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - Speed 6.0L W12 8AT AWD (635 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | W12 |
Displacement: | 5998 cm3 |
Power: | 467 KW @ 6000 RPM 635 HP @ 6000 RPM 626 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 605 lb-ft @ 1700 RPM 820 Nm @ 1700 RPM |
Fuel System: | Turbocharged Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 23.8 gallons (90.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 203 mph (327 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 4.4 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 8-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated discs |
Rear: | Ventilated disc |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 275/40 R20 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 189.2 in (4806 mm) |
Width: | 76.5 in (1943 mm) |
Height: | 55.2 in (1402 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 65.5/65.2 in (1,664/1,656 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 108.1 in (2746 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.5 in (114 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 9.2 cuFT (261 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.31 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 5501 lbs (2495 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6393 lbs (2900 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
---|---|
City: | 14.1 mpg US (16.7 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 27.7 mpg US (8.5 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 19 mpg US (12.4 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 347 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - V8 4.0L V8 8AT AWD (507 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 3993 cm3 |
Power: | 373 KW @ 6000 RPM 507 HP @ 6000 RPM 500 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 487 lb-ft @ 1700 RPM 660 Nm @ 1700 RPM |
Fuel System: | Turbocharged Direct Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 23.8 gallons (90.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 187 mph (301 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 5 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 8-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Ventilated discs |
Rear: | Ventilated disc |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 275/40 R20 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 189.2 in (4806 mm) |
Width: | 76.5 in (1943 mm) |
Height: | 55.2 in (1402 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 65.5/65.2 in (1,664/1,656 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 108.1 in (2746 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.5 in (114 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 9.2 cuFT (261 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.31 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 5445 lbs (2470 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6393 lbs (2900 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
---|---|
City: | 17.9 mpg US (13.1 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 35.3 mpg US (6.7 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 25.8 mpg US (9.1 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 255 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - V8 S 4.0L V8 8AT AWD (528 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 3993 cm3 |
Power: | 389 KW @ 6000 RPM 529 HP @ 6000 RPM 522 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 502 lb-ft @ 1700 RPM 681 Nm @ 1700 RPM |
Fuel System: | Turbocharged Direct Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 23.8 gallons (90.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 191 mph (307 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 4.6 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 8-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Ventilated discs |
Rear: | Ventilated disc |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 275/40 R20 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 189.2 in (4806 mm) |
Width: | 76.5 in (1943 mm) |
Height: | 55.2 in (1402 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 65.5/65.2 in (1,664/1,656 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 108.1 in (2746 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 4.5 in (114 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 9.2 cuFT (261 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.31 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 5445 lbs (2470 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6393 lbs (2900 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
---|---|
City: | 17.9 mpg US (13.1 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 35.3 mpg US (6.7 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 25.9 mpg US (9.1 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 254 g/km |