Bentley Continental GT |
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Wikipedia: Bentley Continental GT
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History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Bentley Continental GT page on 2 December 2016, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Bentley Continental GT is a grand tourer produced by British automaker Bentley Motors since 2003. It was the first car released by Bentley under Volkswagen AG-management after their acquisition of the company in 1998, and the first ever Bentley to employ "mass production" manufacturing techniques. It shares a platform with the Volkswagen Phaeton.
In 1994 Rolls Royce Motors (who at that time owned the Bentley brand) previewed a convertible concept car at the Geneva Motor Show - the Concept Java. The car was designed to be a highly desirable Bentley, but smaller, more affordable, yet still exclusive in order to maintain the integrity of the brand. It was to appeal to a new range of potential buyers and generate increase sales volume for Rolls Royce (at the time the current Bentley Continental R was an ultra-exclusive £180,000 in the UK, within reach of a very select market selling only 2-300 units a year). The Concept Java never made it into production in the form seen in 1994 (although 13 cars were made for the Sultan of Brunei). However the Bentley Continental GT realised the concept of the Java as a more affordable Bentley, manufactured in much larger volumes. Whilst external styling is different, the dashboard design was clearly influenced by the Java.
First generation (2003–2011)
The vehicle was unveiled in 2003 Geneva Motor Show, followed by Le Mans, 2003 Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2003 annual Bentley Drivers Club meeting at Silverstone,. Very importantly, the car differed significantly from the previous Continental R & T models in terms of its concept: although much of the car is hand assembled, it is a mass-produced car made in significantly larger numbers. It is not a coachbuilt car. As a result, the price at launch was significantly less than the Continental R (approximately half) and this immediately exposed the car to a much wider and new customer base as a more affordable car.
The Continental GT is equipped with a 6.0 litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine, which produces a DIN-rated motive power output of 560 metric horsepower (412 kW; 552 bhp) at 6,100 rpm, and torque of 650 newton metres (479 lbf·ft) at 1,600-6,100 rpm. Torsen-based permanent four-wheel drive is standard. It will accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour (0.0 to 62.1 mph) in 4.8 seconds, and go on to reach a top speed of 318 kilometres per hour (197.6 mph).
Second generation (2011–present)
The vehicle was unveiled in 2010 Paris Motor Show. Ordering of Continental GT began in October 2010, with deliveries of 2011 Continental GT began in the first quarter of 2011.
| Type & Item # | Name | Details |
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| Die Cast - Matchbox P2935-0910 | Bentley Continental GT | VIP Rides, 1:64 scale, bronze |
