2008 Bentley Continental Gt Speed Fully Loaded Full Body Venture Shield on 2040-cars

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Question of the Day: What's the greatest British car ever?

The British automotive industry has produced everything from high-production econo-commuters to staggeringly luxurious oligarch-wagons, along the way winning plenty of races and building plenty of beautiful machines. The original Mini led directly to the past half-century of transverse-engine, front-wheel-drive cars built everywhere, the MGB put the sporty little convertible into everyone's reach, and the Morris Oxford became the most beloved motor vehicle in India. So many to choose from, but we want you to pick one. What will it be? Related Video:

2019 Bentley Continental GT First Drive Review | A grand tourer learns to dance

The Austrian Alps are a curious venue to show off that great hunter of the highways, the Bentley Continental GT. With deep green forests and soaring thrusts of exposed rock, the Alps are one of those few places where the natural world still reigns supreme. Humanity isn't going to change this place much. You can forget about six-lane freeways blasted through rock — the only way to get around is on narrow, twin lanes. True to its name, the coupe is perhaps the truest grand touring car on the market — comfort happily married to speed. I once logged a personal best time between New York City and Boston in a base GT, despite a pounding nighttime rain. Even that miserable East Coast route felt easy in the GT, which eats through highway miles in a peculiarly relentless fashion. It was born for distance. This is our first drive of the new, third-generation car, which won't be sold in North America for another year, at a starting price of $214,600. We've been told it is a changed machine — a GT still, but with more nimbleness. And now we're about to find out, having left behind quaint Austrian villages for a steep mountain road that switchbacks up toward the clouds. It's everything you hope and dream when you fantasize about the Alps. Before me is a straightaway interrupted by a quick left-right bend and an uphill switchback. A small twist of hands on the nicely weighted steering wheel and the Bentley jukes through the left-right fluidly; no need to brush the brakes until we're right up to the hairpin. Then a firm push on the stoppers and a full lock of the steering wheel and — listen to that! — tire noise from the 21-inch Pirellis as we get back on the gas early. The car stays remarkably flat despite the camber of the turn. I snap open my hands and flat-foot the accelerator. Another hairpin beckons just beyond. And so it goes, the Conti welcoming a full-throated uphill attack. We get to the top and begin the fall back down the mountain, which is even more illuminating. This is the model with the W12 — the only one available at launch, notorious for carrying too much weight in its nose. Take a previous generation on a tight downhill route and you wrestle the grille through the turns, giving up entry speed to mitigate inevitable front-end push. It was a point-and-shoot car, relying on good brakes and ample power to make up lost time through the turns. This new generation is a momentum machine. There is a newfound rhythm and flow. It is deft and it is nimble.

Every Bentley Continental GT No. 9 Edition has Le Mans history built into its interior

Bentley is amidst a year-long celebration of its 100th birthday, and part of the festivities is the reveal of the "ultimate collector's version" of the new Continental GT. The Number 9 Edition by Mulliner is a highly customized tribute to Sir Henry Ralph Stanley 'Tim' Birkin and his "Blower" Bentley and includes a Le Mans artifact that gives the car an unattainable rarity. As seen in the photos, this Continental GT wears its name on its nose. The large 9 in the grille is a nod to the No. 9 4.5-liter Blower Bentley that Birkin raced at the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hours. What Bentley claims to be the iconic Bentley racer of the pre-war era had a supercharger that upped power from 110 brake horsepower to 175. Now, in 2019, part of that racecar will be in each of the 100 No. 9 Edition cars. Those familiar with the new Continental GT remember it features a "rotating display" within its dashboard. It can flip between a smooth piece of trim to the infotainment screen to an assembly of three dials and/or gauges. On the No. 9 Edition, the center gauge on the rotating display has a visible piece of the wooden seat from the 1930 Le Mans car. It can be seen at the 1:30 mark in the video below. It is just one piece of the custom interior that also features turned aluminum trim, and a British Jaeger clock face inspired by the Blower's original dials. Customers have the choice between Cumbrian Green or Beluga leather, which Bentley says have increased gloss levels. The seat headrests and the door panels have been debossed with Bentley's "B" logo, and the door sill plates have plaques marking, "1 of 100." A final touch of elegance is the 18-karat gold plating on the vent pull knobs. The No. 9 Edition comes in two colors: Viridian Green or Beluga Black. The 21-inch 10-spoke wheels can be ordered with color match, and several specialty badges have been added to the car, including "1919 to 2019" centenary badges that are seen on every Bentley built in 2019. The No. 9 comes standard with the Continental GT's Black Line package and the carbon bodykit package. Bentley made no mention of price, but considering only 100 will be built, they're likely already accounted for. The No. 9 Edition will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Featured Gallery Bentley Continental GT No. 9 Edition by Mulliner News Source: Bentley Geneva Motor Show Bentley Coupe Luxury Performance limited edition Mulliner