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2013 Bentley Continental GTC V8

Despite having a rich history of creating comfortable cars for the chauffeured elite, Bentley has also had an edge on performance that its former compadres at Rolls-Royce could not come close to. Because while the Rollers may have been the better cars to be driven in (and some would argue, they still are), the Bentleys were better to drive.
That's still true to this day, where the company, now situated under the umbrella of the Volkswagen Group, still offers all the same luxury and refinement as before, but it also includes even better drivability than before. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Continental range, where a full line of turbocharged 12-cylinder and Speed models are on offer, to say nothing of older Supersports models that were offered and the company's newest venture into the world of racing, the GT3.
But below the Speed cars and the other W12 cruisers, Bentley now offers eight-cylinder power in its Continental range. And despite this more focused approach to offering something a bit more frugal and efficient, it still has quite the focus on driver involvement. We recently spent a week under the summer sun in this droptop V8 GTC to experience just that.

2017 Bentley Mulsanne Speed is more ostentatious than ever

As it was, the Bentley Mulsanne was a pretty bold and ostentatious (and totally awesome) show of luxury. It was big and brutal in a classically British way, but it was also outperformed and out-teched by more modern (and cheaper) luxury sedans from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and even Audi. Buying one was a classic case study in vehicular statement-making, a vote for old-school refinement instead of modern gee-whizzery. Bentley clearly recognized that fact, because it's doubled-down on the big Mulsanne's aristocratic, give-no-craps demeanor as part of its latest aesthetic update. We love it. For one, the car on display in Geneva is painted is painted in an eye-catching (and questionable) metallic yellow-green. It is not subtle, but weirdly, it kind of works. The new, even more imposing grille is similarly blunt. It's been stretched three inches and is now home to polished stainless steel vanes. As we explained in our original post on the Mulsanne, the new headlight arrangement seeks to eliminate the "droopiness" of the current car. The LED units largely succeed, while somehow giving the front end an even snootier look. Styling changes elsewhere are subtler, which is to say there's still no mistaking the Mulsanne for anything else. The tail gets tasteful new LED lights, while changes along the long, smooth profile look to be nonexistent. It's a similar story in the cabin, which is a place filled with leather, chrome, and wood. It's proper and restrained, in contrast to the look-at-me face. But don't let the handsome and clean interior fool you – the only thing less subtle than the Mulsanne's new front fascia is the performance of this Speed variant. The 6.75-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 continues to reside under hood, turning out 530 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque. That's good for a 4.8-second 0-60 time and a 190-mile-per-hour top speed. Those are impressive figures for a genuine sports car, but they're just hilarious in a vehicle the size of a New York City apartment and the weight of a piece of construction equipment. The Mulsanne is an unnecessary, silly vehicle – a Mercedes-AMG S65 is a much better value. But simply put, few cars make such a bold statement about your wealth and power.

2022 Bentley Flying Spur Mulliner ramps the opulence up even higher

It wouldn’t be a Monterey Car Week if Bentley didnÂ’t show us something extravagant and extremely expensive. So here it is: The Flying Spur Mulliner. This Flying Spur is just another version of the model, but any powertrain can be paired with the Mulliner spec. That means you can get the V8, W12 or the recently introduced V6 hybrid model done up in the full Mulliner guise. And it is only a Mulliner guise, too, as this special Bentley is all about appearance and nothing else. WeÂ’ll start on the exterior. Bentley starts with a unique “Double Diamond” front and lower chrome grille. Flanking this, we have special Mulliner-branded side wing vents. The mirror caps are painted in Satin Silver, and you get jewel fuel and oil caps. Capping all this off are Mulliner-exclusive 22-inch wheels that feature a polished gray finish and self-leveling wheel caps. Things get downright decadent when you move inside the Flying Spur Mulliner. YouÂ’re instantly greeted with illuminated Mulliner sill plates and extra deep-pile Mulliner overmats. The dash and seats are treated to unique Mulliner embroidery and colored accent piping. YouÂ’ll also have the choice between eight custom three-color interior combinations. The example shown in photos here is called Ascot, which is a combination of Imperial Blue, Camel (the tan leather) and white piping. ItÂ’s rather fitting for a show by the ocean. If you want something with bolder three-color combos, Bentely suggests either Flare or Sirius. And since this is a Mulliner, the typically optional Mulliner Driving Specification comes standard. This includes diamond quilting for the leather seats and BentleyÂ’s fancy 3-D leather trim on the doors. You also get special diamond-milled design finishes done to the front and center console. Plus, the Breitling clock is front and center. Mulliner-specific touches extend to the digital instrument cluster in front of you, as it features special Mulliner graphics. And backseat passengers will enjoy a treat in the form of electrically-operated picnic tables. Those veneered tables deploy with just the press of a button and feature multiple levels, with one hiding a leather surface and a pen. Owners of the Flying Spur Mulliner will also get unique leather-bound keys in a special presentation box that matches the interior color combination of the car. Both pricing and availability of the Mulliner were not made immediately available, but expect it to be extra-expensive and available to order soon.