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2013 Bentley Continental GT V8

The Entry Entry-Level Bentley
I have a friend who once told me that he would never buy the cheapest version of anything. I pressed him about cars and figured he was backed into a corner when I mentioned Bentley. With only the Continental series of cars - GT coupe, GTC convertible, Flying Spur four-door - and Mulsanne sedan on offer, surely this friend of mine would go for something like the Continental GT coupe over the larger, much more expensive Mulsanne. While their base prices are separated by over $100,000, the Continental GT's starting price of $212,600 should still command enough respect from my friend's imaginary - and judgmental - group of country club acquaintances.
"No way, it's the entry-level Bentley."

Bentley going back to Pikes Peak with a Continental GT

Bentley is headed to the clouds again, with Rhys Millen once more at the wheel. The English luxury brand took on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb last year with a Bentayga, Millen setting a production SUV record of 10:49.902. This year the duo want to claim the production car record over the 12.42-mile, 156-corner course with the new W12-powered Bentley Continental GT. The Pikes Peak organization doesn't list "Production Car" on its list of records. The closest we could find is a record run of 10:26.896 set by David Donner in a 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S in the Time Attack 2 class. It appears a production car only needs the necessary safety gear like a roll cage and fire extinguisher to qualify for Time Attack 2. An Acura NSX won the category in 2016, just two seconds off Donner's time. Bentley is already working on its run and likely has simulations showing it can outdo Donner's time, but this will be a battle of lean vs. largesse. The Continental GT has all-wheel drive like the 911 Turbo S, and one more gear in its eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox compared to the Porsche. The Turbo S put out 560 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, compared to Millen's ride getting 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. But the Bentley weighs roughly 1,400 pounds more than the Porsche, a healthy handicap to drag up to the 14,115-foot summit. Millen's the man to make the attempt, though, having raced up the mountain 25 times and taken five overall and seven class victories. The race goes down - or up, rather - on June 30.

2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible

There are few things in this world I enjoy more than an enthusiastic drive down tree-lined backroads on a warm summer evening. If you're familiar with the geographic location of Detroit, you won't be shocked to learn that we don't have the sort of very-involving roads found all throughout California and other gorgeous parts of the country, but we still have some stretches of pavement that can be pretty darn fun when driven in the right car. The vast majority of our scenic roads, however, are of a more relaxed nature. And that's why, despite my tendency to prefer high-strung hot hatches above all, I will never say no to a big, fast convertible during the warm season.
As far as said big, fast convertibles go, perhaps none is more exquisite than the 2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible, pictured here in the striking shade of St. James Red. Not long after returning from my trip across the pond to drive Bentley's V8-powered Flying Spur sedan, I was given the chance to sample another one of its eight-cylinder wares, this one carrying less heft, offering a smidge more power, and, oh yeah, a roof that neatly stows behind the rear seats.
As luck would have it, the weather for my Conti weekend was the absolute definition of perfection. And so I took to those sweeping, tree-lined roads way outside of Detroit to see how this Bentley's "S" badge improves upon the lovely GT V8 Convertible I drove last year. Hard work, but somebody's gotta do it.