Bentley’s new Continental GTC is the convertible version of the automaker’s Continental GT coupe, which debuted in the U.S. with the 2004 model. Powered by the same W-12 engine as the GT, the 2+2 GTC features a power fabric roof that can lower in 25 seconds, plus a glass rear window. It hits dealerships in late 2006.
With a top speed in excess of 190mph (304 km/h), a sophisticated all-wheel drive system, state-of-the-art 12-cylinder engine, advanced air suspension and ultra-stiff body structure, the Continental GTC displays all the poise, exhilarating performance and dynamic handling of the Continental GT. In common with its stable mates, the interior of the new Continental GTC provides an unrivalled standard of craftsmanship, utilising natural wood veneers and leather hides of the finest quality.

It comes standard with the same 552-horsepower, 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W-12 engine that powers the Continental GT. The suspension is adjustable for different ride comforts and it seats four with its small bucket seats in the rear. To provide passenger safety, it comes with two popup roll bars behind the rear seats, all-disc antilock brakes, a tire pressure monitoring system, traction control and an electronic stability system.
While sharing the familiar face of the Continental family, the design personality of the new Continental GTC is distinctive and unique, as Bentley’s design director Dirk van Braeckel explains: “With the Continental GTC we set out to achieve a style that is both contemporary and elegant but with the sporting stance of a true performance car. We also wanted to ensure that the Continental GTC looks just as beautiful with the roof up as it does when it’s down.

This theme of platinum-plated, we’ve-thought-of-everything efficiency is repeated all throughout the 2007 Bentley Continental GTC. The car weighs 5,500 pounds, but with a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 engine underhood, it’s capable of cracking the 5-second threshold in the 0-60-mph test. In addition, the Continental GTC handles itself with a nimbleness that belies its size. Four suspension settings are available, allowing drivers to customize their ride to one that’s as plush or firm as they see fit. Speaking of customization, Bentley owners may choose among 17 interior color options and four types of wood trim to create a swank cabin that’s uniquely theirs.

The Continental GTC is a touring convertible. Though it offers a more dynamic drive than Bentley’s other drop top, the Azure, its heavy curb weight prevents it from being as sporting as its rivals, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG convertible and the Aston Martin DB9 Volante. But neither of these cars can touch the Continental GTC when it comes to sheer, all-out luxury. Unbridled sumptuousness is what Bentley buyers expect, and in this respect, the 2007 Continental GTC is in a class all its own.

The GTC weighs a whopping two and a half tons, but with 551 hp on tap, our test car accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in an effortless 4.9 seconds and topped an honest 195 mph. Fuel consumption? The best number we saw on the digital display was 15 mpg, while the worst was 6 mpg. The 6.0-liter W-12 employs two turbochargers to produce 479 lb-ft of torque at a relaxed 1600 rpm. The six-speed manu-matic relays forward thrust to the nineteen-inch wheels, which are great for grip and traction but less good at providing a plush low-speed ride. Since the oomph is split evenly between the axles, you get a little turn-in understeer and a little liftoff oversteer, but in general this ship sails through corners with stoic neutrality. Despite all the mass and weight, there is an unexpected lightness in the controls. The steering is a two-finger job at all speeds, the brakes respond eagerly to the tips of your toes, and the paddleshift transmission juggles ratios in an amazingly efficient fashion.

Standard Engine:

6.0L W12, 48 valve, 552 hp @ 6100 rpm

• 6 speed automatic transmission
• 11 mpg city / 18 mpg hwy
• Green Rating: 37

Standard Features:

• Front and Rear 3-Point Seatbelts
• Bosch(R) 4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes
• Wireless Communication Access For Bluetooth(R) Hands Free Phone System

The Bentley Continental GT coupe has been a runaway success, but that hasn’t stopped the engineers in Crewe from working on the next phase of the project, the 2007 Continental GT convertible. In the product plan right from the start, the latest spy photos show that the convertible Continental GT is well on its way to showrooms. Disregard the Mercedes grille and Maserati taillights, as the rear-quarter panels are a dead giveaway that this is indeed a Continental GT-based drop top.

It’s expected to keep all the same specs as the coupe, meaning a 552-horsepower W12 under the hood and standard all-wheel drive. The convertible soft top will most likely add a few hundred pounds of additional weight, but as we have seen in the case of the Continental Flying Spur a little extra weight doesn’t hold the big 12-cylinder back much.

The Continental GT is able to seat four passengers comfortably in its leather and wood trim interior. It has full-time four-wheel drive and has a twin turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 engine that generates 552 hp. Carpets and seat belts can be matched to the main or secondary interior hue. A Mulliner Driving Specification edition of the Continental GT is an option to add even more performance tuning and feel to the driving experience.

In 2007, the Continental GT gets an updated navigation system and telecommunications system.

With a top speed of 195mph (312km/h), a sophisticated all-wheel drive system, state-of-the-art 12-cylinder engine, advanced air suspension and ultra-stiff body structure, the Continental GTC displays all the poise, exhilarating performance and dynamic handling of the Continental GT. In common with its stable mates, the interior of the new Continental GTC provides an unrivalled standard of craftsmanship, utilising natural wood veneers and leather hides of the finest quality, which are on full display when you lower the elegant, electro-hydraulically operated soft-top roof.

“The Continental GTC is the most distinctive new Bentley yet,” explains Bentley Motors’ Chairman and Chief Executive, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen. “It is very elegant and at the same time effortlessly modern. It will appeal to many different customers: people who are tired of driving sports cars that require too much effort; people who want to move up from more standard convertibles; and people who want to make a statement about what they drive, yet still own a car that they can use every day of the year.”

Only one trim level is available for 2007 Bentley Continental GT buyers. Of course, this trim is loaded with amenities. Standard equipment on the luxury coupe includes 19-inch wheels; four-zone climate control; xenon bi-HID headlights; adjustable suspension damping; auto-latching doors; 14-way power front seats with three-position memory; massaging driver and passenger seats; DVD navigation; and a 300-watt, 12-speaker audio system with a glovebox-mounted CD changer. A bevy of customization options is available. If you want to personalize your ride with out-of-range exterior paint colors and special interior trim materials and color schemes, you’re in luck.
Also on the options list is a Mulliner Driving Specification Package, which adds 20-inch two-piece wheels, unique leather upholstery and upgraded wood trim. There’s also a special run of Continental GT Diamond Series. Based on the Mulliner Driving Specification, these cars feature carbon ceramic brakes (a production first for Bentley) new 20-inch wheels and three exclusive exterior colors.

Standard Engine:6.0L W12, 48 valve, 552 hp @ 6100 rpm

• 6 speed automatic transmission
• 12 mpg city / 19 mpg hwy
• Green Rating: 42

Standard Features:

• Front and Rear 3-Point Seatbelts
• Bosch(R) 4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes
• Wireless Communication Access For Bluetooth(R) Hands Free Phone System

The 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur receives new standard equipment, more options and the Mulliner Driving Specification. New standard equipment includes 19-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, a DVD-based satellite navigation system and integrated Bluetooth remote SIM access profile (rSAP) telephone system. New options include chrome or bright-machined finish to the 19-inch wheels, rear-seat telephone and veneered picnic tables to the rear of both front seats. The Mulliner Driving Specification is highlighted by 20-inch, 2-piece 7-spoke alloy wheels, drilled alloy sports foot pedals and footrest, diamond quilted and indented hide to seat facings, door and rear quarter panels, embroidered “Bentley” marquee emblem to headrests, indented hide headlining and dark-stained Burr Walnut or Piano Black veneer at no extra cost.

The 2007 Continental Flying Spur is a 4-door, up to 5-passenger luxury sedan, available in one trim only, the Sedan. Upon introduction, the Continental Flying Spur is equipped with a standard 6.0-liter, W12, 552-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 11-mpg in the city and 18-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. The 2007 Continental Flying Spur is a carryover from 2006.
Upon introduction, the Continental Flying Spur is equipped with a standard 6.0-liter, W12, 552-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 11-mpg in the city and 18-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

Beneath the Flying Spur’s dramatic sheetmetal, you’ll find the latest developments in automotive technology. A W12 engine incorporates twin turbochargers to produce some 552 horsepower. All-wheel drive delivers excellent traction in all kinds of weather. A sophisticated suspension with air springs and electronically controlled dampers produces extraordinary driving composure. Bentley uses no less than 11 cowhides selected strictly from cows in climes in northern Europe and natural unstained and unbleached wood veneers to trim the luxurious interior.

The 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur gets an updated navigation system, telecommunications system, and a new Mulliner Driving Specification package.

The Continental Flying Spur’s design is understated, in the Bentley tradition. The company refers to the sedan as “evocative, timeless and unostentatious.”

Flowing body lines on the Continental Flying Spur include rounded C-pillars — called the “hockey stick” curve — like those found on many early Bentleys. A mesh-pattern grille is installed up front between recessed round headlights. At the rear, a humped trunk lid sits above integrated oval exhaust pipes. Chrome detailing is similar to that of the company’s Arnage sedan. The additional body length emphasizes the car’s waistline.

Standard Engine:

6.0L W12, 48 valve, 552 hp @ 6100 rpm

• 6 speed automatic transmission
• 11 mpg city / 18 mpg hwy
• Green Rating: 37

Standard Features:

• Front and Rear Side Airbags
• 4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes
• Pre-Programmed Equalizer

The Bentley Azure is a 2-door, 5-passenger ultra-luxury convertible. It is based on the Bentley Arnage sedan and designed to provide the ultimate opulent experience.

The styling of the new Azure is as textbook conservative as that of a London taxi or Buckingham Palace. But the magic is in the proportions: an imposing body that measures almost eighteen feet between bumpers; an in-your-face mesh grille flanked by two expressionless headlamps; a hood vast enough to hide a miniature nuclear power plant; and a stately rear overhang. The cabin lacks modernities such as Mercedes-Benz SLK-style neck-warming vents, so the four occupants must rely entirely on the windshield and on the tall side windows to brave the elements. In appearance and approach, this new Bentley seems like a leftover from the late 1980s, but the driving experience most certainly isn’t.

The previous Azure was a surprisingly quick car–at least in Mulliner spec–considering its castlelike weight and aerodynamics, but its handling and roadholding left much to be desired. In the new car, steering inputs are translated without delay, the brakes are properly boosted, directional stability is solid, and the chassis has shed its eiderdown indifference. True, the Azure still rolls like a barge when pushed hard, and its 645 lb-ft of maximum torque may burn rubber at any time, but there is no doubt that the 450-hp Azure has matured in attitude and ability.

The Azure is equipped with a standard 450-horsepower twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V-8 engine. It has a 4-speed automatic transmission and double-wishbone suspension borrowed from the Bentley Arnage. Front and rear side-impact airbags, pop-up bolsters for rollover protection, and a reinforced windshield are standard safety features. Covering the cabin is a three-layer fabric top that is hydraulically operated and stows beneath a hide-trimmed tonneau cover.

The 2007 Azure is a 2-door, 5-passenger luxury convertible, available in one trim only, the Convertible. Upon introduction, the Azure is equipped with a standard 6.75-liter, V8, 450-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 11-mpg in the city and 16-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

This is also the first two-door Arnage, requiring a completely different cabin and rear-end structure from the sedan’s. The vast three-layer fabric roof is raised and lowered electrically in 30 seconds and stows under a flush leather-covered deck panel.

The Azure convertible weighs 240 more pounds than the Arnage (making it nearly three tons). The inevitable loss of torsional rigidity from removing the roof is compensated to a degree by carbon-fiber stiffeners added to the underbody — a large cruciform structure at the front and a smaller one at the rear.

Standard Engine:

6.75L V8, 16 valve, 450 hp @ 4100 rpm

• 6 speed automatic transmission
• 11 mpg city / 16 mpg hwy
• Green Rating: 34

Standard Features:

• Seat Mounted Front Side Airbags
• 4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes
• Equalizer

We have been inundated with demand for a new Azure virtually from the moment the original model ceased production,” commented Adrian Hallmark, member of the board, sales and marketing. “The exclusivity, style, luxury and performance of the new Bentley convertible flagship evoke the Riviera lifestyle like no other, fully justifying the revival of the Azure name.”

Anyone who thought that Bentleys flagship Arnage was on its way out of production after the unprecedented sales success the luxury marque has experienced with its new Continental

The Arnage is the only quarter-million dollar luxury sedan — or “saloon,” as the Brits say — currently on the market. Other full-size luxury sedans are either a whole lot more (Rolls-Royce Phantom) or a whole lot less expensive (Mercedes-Benz S-Class). The Arnage was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1998, along with a mechanical twin from Rolls-Royce called the Silver Seraph (holding company Vickers Plc. owned the company that manufactured both Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars back then). There was a lot of interest in that debut, because the cars were the first entirely new designs for the two brands since 1980.

Nine years later, both companies are owned by rival German manufacturers — Bentley by Volkswagen and Rolls-Royce by BMW. Only the Arnage survived and its elegant shape is a classic that will never look passé.

There are three sedan variants on the Arnage platform: the performance-oriented, 500-hp, twin-turbocharged T, which we tested, the slightly more relaxed 450-hp R and the long-wheelbase RL. The ultra-rare $329,990 Azure Convertible is also spun from the Arnage line, though it has only two doors.

The 2007 Bentley Arnage T, though, is different. This is a car that was developed in the mid-’90s and can trace its lineage back to the 1920s and the time of W.O. Bentley. Priced from $242,990, it remains the choice of the discerning, old-money elite. Its British owners are often prefixed by the title “Lord” or “Her Majesty.”

Since its 1998 unveil, the car has undergone several significant overhauls. The old Bentley 6.75-liter turbocharged V8 was reintroduced in 1999 and a heavily revised version of the same engine — now featuring twin turbos — was introduced in 2002 as part of a raft of dynamic changes. Then in 2005, the styling was revised with the return of round.

2007 Bentley Arnage Models:
2007 Bentley Arnage R
2007 Bentley Arnage T
2007 Bentley Arnage RL