December 4, 2001

Bentley Continental T Private Commission Click image to enlarge

Preview:
Bentley Continental T
By Greg Wilson

The Bentley Continental T meets the definition of a dream car in just about every respect: exclusive, expensive, prestigious, fast, good-looking, and expensive - did I already say expensive? I guess that's because the Continental T is REALLY expensive: $442,280 to be exact. Most of us couldn't even afford the GST and PST on this British beauty. But it's nice to dream, and to have a plan in place just in case the lottery numbers come up in our favour. I mean, who wants to be taken by surprise?

The luscious Bentley Continental T coupe is a limited production, high-performance version of the Bentley Continental R coupe. Its wheelbase is shorter by four inches and it has a more powerful 6.75 litre V8 engine. While the Continental R has to make do with 'just' 400 horsepower at 4100 rpm and 'only' 616 lb-ft of torque at 2150 rpm, the Continental T offers 420 horsepower at 4000 rpm and 645 lb-ft. at 2100 rpm. Bentley points out that the Continental T has the greatest peak torque output of any production car in the world, more than twice that of a V12-powered Ferrari 550 Maranello.

Bentley Continental T Bentley Continental T Private Commission Bentley Continental T Private Commission Bentley Continental T Click image to enlarge

All that torque is directed through a four-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels – sadly, a manual transmission is not offered. To manage its prodigious torque, the Continental T includes standard traction control which controls fuel supply, turbo boost, and ignition retardation - and a limited slip rear differential which directs power to the rear wheel with the most grip.

Fuel consumption is abysmal: 28.1 l/100 km (10 mpg) in the city and 13.2 l/100 km (21 mpg) on the highway. Fortunately, it has a 100 litre fuel tank!

With its shortened wheelbase, lowered and firmer suspension, and a wider track, the Continental T is designed for improved handling and maneouverability and features automatic ride height control and meaty 285/45R-18 inch tires and alloy wheels. Despite weighing a hefty 2,450 kg (5,401 lb.), the Continental T can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds, and from 0 to 100 mph in only 15.1 seconds. It has a maximum speed of 273 km/h (170 mph).

The Continental T's huge disc brakes will bring it to a stop from 100 mph in less than five seconds, according to Bentley. The T's brake pads have additional carbon content for cooling efficiency, and the rotors are also larger with correspondingly larger pads which require less braking pressure.

The four-passenger interior is designed in a style that recalls the early racing Bentleys of the 30's, particularly the red starter button on the dashboard and the 'engine-turned' aluminium fascia and trim with single-colour dark leather. Connolly leather upholstery, thick Wilton carpets, dual zone climate control, chrome shift lever, and a full complement of auxiliary gauges are all standard. Bentley owners can specify an exterior and interior that suits their personal tastes and requirements. Bentley Motors' Personal Commission team offers their own special expertise in the fabrication of metal and wood, hand-crafted veneers and in the manufacture of top quality leather to create unique versions of Bentley models.

A good example of a 'personal commission' Continental T was shown at the Detroit auto show last January. Painted in a special Racing Green, this car featured a deeper front bumper, and the headlamp surround panels, sills and rear bumper were modified to give the car a leaner and more assertive appearance. Changes to the front profile included a painted radiator shell, front turn signal lamps mounted within the bumper and rear clear turn signal lenses. There are special vents in the front fenders with vertical louvres and satin black edges on the body-coloured powered door mirrors.

The interior featured Sienna-coloured, quilted Connolly leather on the seats, door panels and luggage area trimmed with contrasting hand-sewn beige stitching. The steering wheel grip was finished in Aragon hide while the Russet-coloured Wilton carpets were trimmed with Sienna-coloured leather.

This car featured a specially designed rear luggage compartment behind the front seats and a set of unique bespoke Bentley leather luggage. Secured in place by leather strap, the three unique, co-coordinated luggage pieces consisted of a large valise style suitcase and two matching smaller curved cabin cases that matched the quilted Connolly leather in the cars interior.

"Our capabilities as shown by this car created by the Personal Commissioning team are unique to us," said Tony Gott, chief executive of Bentley Motors. "We can exclusively create, customer by customer, a virtually limitless range of individual enhancements to a car's performance, its exterior and interior. It means that every Bentley that has been built by the Personal Commissioning team is, truly, original."

Of course, you'll have to pay extra for an original Bentley. But if you have to ask the price..

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Greg Wilson is a Vancouver-based automotive journalist and editor of CanadianDriver