The 2023 Bentley Continental GTC V8.Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
To the surprise of everyone, the baby’s seat actually fit in the back seat of Bentley’s newest convertible. With the cloth top of the 2023 Bentley Continental GTC folded down and the front passenger seat bowed forward, the baby’s ungainly throne could be heaved into the back seat. Buckling it in required a Hollywood stuntman-style lunge over the side of the car, but it was doable.
Only when we tried to put two adults in the car along with the baby did it become obvious that Bentley’s $400,000 drop-top might not be an entirely practical family car.
The company says the Continental GTC has “enough space to seat four adults comfortably – and room for their luggage in the boot.”
The idea of comfort is subjective, fine, but putting four adults in the Bentley means knees pressed into the backs of seats or knees bent askew under the dashboard. It means seats upright like in a plane’s economy section. Four people in the Bentley might work for a 30-minute drive, but you wouldn’t want to subject adults to a longer trip in the rear seats unless they have a good chiropractor waiting at the other end. At least the baby seemed happy in the convertible.
If you really must fit four adults – or three plus a baby seat – comfortably into a two-door drop-top, the recently discontinued Rolls-Royce Dawn was your best option. The Rolls, however, is not as nice to drive as the Bentley.
Aside from the fact it can (sort of) accommodate four adults, what makes the Bentley distinct is that it splits the difference between pure luxury cruisers like the Dawn, and more driver-focused cars like the Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari Portofino M or Aston Martin DB11.
The current-generation Continental shares its basic platform with the Porsche Panamera, which explains why it’s so capable on twisty mountain roads. It is large and heavy – weighing 2,342 kilograms – but Bentley’s beautifully judged chassis-tuning means the car never feels wallowy or vague as you might suspect.
There’s a slight delay to the throttle, which adds to the drama; put your foot down and the automatic gearbox takes its time to shift down a few cogs before the V8 starts to roar, the car squats down on the rear wheels and the long hood points skyward.
The soundtrack to all this drama is the most refined, well-mannered twin-turbo V8 bark you’ll ever hear. The four-litre motor makes 542 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque. Bentley also offers a 12-cylinder engine, but its only real-world benefit is bragging rights.
A car seat can fit in the back of the 2023 Bentley Continental convertible, but the passenger in the front seat will be cramped with their knees against the glovebox.Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
The base-model 2023 Continental GTC costs $313,700 in Canada, but basic luxuries like a heads-up display and adaptive cruise control are part of a $10,000 option package. This car’s cabin can be best-in-class if you’re willing to spend more on extras: A diamond-patterned texture on the metal vents and knobs costs $3,075; diamond-quilted leather throughout the cabin is another $10,150; the Naim stereo will set you back $11,070; and the rotating display that allows the central touchscreen to disappear behind the dashboard, a cool $8,010. This is no bargain, quite the opposite.
Back when it was launched in 2018, the 12-cylinder Continental W12 coupe started at $285,681. Today, the price has crept up to $349,000 for a similar 12-cylinder model, while the top-of-the-line GTC Mulliner W12 costs $455,100. That’s house money in some Canadian cities.
The front seats and dash of the 2023 Bentley Continental GTC V8.Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
The high prices are working for Bentley Motors. The company just posted its third consecutive record annual sales, with 15,174 vehicles sold worldwide in 2022, despite a 9-per-cent decline in China.
Profit is way up, too. Between 2017 and 2020, the British luxury brand managed a meagre return on sales of 1 to 3 per cent. Through the first half of 2022, the brand’s profit margin was 23 per cent.
Like the Porsche 911, Ford Mustang, Ferrari Roma, Aston Martin DB11 and every other sports car that technically has four seats, the Bentley Continental is part of a long tradition of two-door coupes and cabriolets that attempt to convince potential owners and their significant others into believing these machines could be pressed into family service if needed. It’s easier to justify such a fundamentally self-indulgent car when it offers even the thinnest veneer of practicality, which, in case you’re curious, the Bentley certainly does.
Tech specs
2023 Bentley Continental GTC V8
- Base price/as tested: $313,700/$400,000 (estimate)
- Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
- Transmission/drive: Eight-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
- Fuel economy (litres per 100 kilometres): 19.6 city, 13.1 highway (U.S. EPA figures)
- Alternatives: Aston Martin DB11, Rolls-Royce Dawn, Ferrari Portofino M, Porsche 911 Turbo S
Looks
Aging well and just as handsome as it was in 2018. The coupe has cleaner lines, but the GTC has the drop top.
Interior
Best-in-class, but only if you’re willing to drop roughly $60,000 on options.
Performance
The Continental is a sports car for those not desperate to relive a wild youth. Not quite as driver-focused as Aston Martin’s DB11, but the ride is more forgiving. The V8 engine is shared with the Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Panamera.
Technology
The best thing about the Porsche-derived infotainment system is that, in the Bentley, it can be hidden at the touch of a button. It rotates away to reveal three analog instruments. Not having to look at a screen is the ultimate luxury these days.
Cargo
The trunk is large, but lacks depth.Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
The cargo hold is large but lacks vertical depth. So, pack small suitcases and take the travel stroller rather than the full-sized one.
The verdict
Not the most practical family car, but a fun one.
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