Season finale with the Bentley Continental GTC | Tyrolean daily newspaper online
Ein lauer Herbsttag am Reschensee: In weniger als 20 Sekunden öffnet sich das Verdeck des Bentley Continental GT Convertible vollautomatisch.
© Höscheler Markus
By Markus Höscheler
Graun im Vinschgau – In many ways, autumn may be unpleasant this year – but it can’t be the weather. Mostly October and November so far have provided plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures – which is reflected in the streetscape in Tyrol again and again: young and old were out and about with T-shirts or even shorts from time to time. But topless – officially only those who could afford or rent a convertible dare to do that.
In our case it was only a short loan, because the list price of the Bentley Continental GTC V8 is close to the unattainable 300,000 euro mark. The opportunity that the British manufacturer offered us to present the 4.85-meter-long noble convertible up and down the country for several days was to be used immediately. Lockdown-like conditions on both sides of the Tyrolean southern border, and apart from any tourist high season, the Continental GTC was quite often alone on the road in the Upper Inn Valley, on Lake Reschensee and in Langtaufers – and that in broad daylight.
Every now and then a tractor or other commercial vehicle had to be overtaken – ideal opportunities to test the responsiveness and subsequent power delivery of the 550 hp V8 twin turbo gasoline engine as well as the responsiveness of the ZF eight-speed automatic. The handlebars can be extremely satisfied with both, obviously in sport mode and even more so in manual mode thanks to the large paddles.
The sound is pleasing to the ears, especially when the top is (electrically) open. It takes less than 20 seconds to fold up – and that while driving up to a speed of 50 km
H. A warm air blower in the neck area and attentive seat heating make open-top driving even more comfortable, at least in the local area and during the leisurely drive along the shore road.
However, when the pace is a little more forceful, the focus is on the steering and the chassis. The former is recommended with sufficient precision, but not with directness, the latter cannot really be disturbed, skilfully cushions the indigestible and always exudes stability. The ubiquitous all-wheel drive reliably maintains traction, even when cornering dynamically.
With all the focus on the sporting talents of the Continental GTC, the luxurious elements of the noble Brit cannot be ignored. The finest leather covers the multiple electrically adjustable seats. Sure, normal-sized adults only want to sit in the back in an emergency due to the lack of space, but in the front it is important to enjoy the elegantly arranged materials and the high-quality infotainment system to the full – before the convertible season ends for this year.