The Bentley Continental GT is now available with a fuel-efficient yet powerful V8 engine


Luxury British carmaker Bentley has given its ultimate grand tourer, the Continental GT, a more efficient V8 engine. The third generation model unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show was only available with the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine till now, which produces 626 horsepower and 664 ft-lb of peak torque. Comparatively, the new 4.0-liter V8 engine is much smaller in size, which should make it lighter and more fuel efficient. However, the power figures indicate it’s not much behind in terms of power. The twin-turbo eight-cylinder unit produces 542 horsepower and 568 ft-lb of torque, which is sent to all four wheels an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Bentley says the luxury grand tourer will “use the rear-wheel drive as much as possible during normal driving for optimum efficiency and dynamic performance.”


Launched in both coupe and convertible forms, Bentley claims the GT V8 Coupe takes only 3.9 seconds for the 0-60mph sprint, while the convertible version takes an addition 0.1 seconds for the same. Both have a top speed of 198mph. For greater efficiency, the V8 engine features cylinder-deactivation technology which can seamlessly switch from four cylinders to eight to switch from fuel-efficient mode to high-performance driving. In terms of design attributes to distinguish between the V8 and W12 models, the only noticeable element is the exhaust layout; the GT V8 comes with quad exhaust pipes, while the W12 model has two massive oval outlets at the back. Prices for the V8 start at $203,825 for the coupe and $223,675 for the convertible, with both models already available to order in the US. Bentley says customer deliveries will begin in the third quarter.

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Sayan Chakravarty, a Senior Writer at Luxurylaunches, brings over 10 years of automotive journalism expertise. He provides insightful coverage of the latest cars and motorcycles across American and European markets, while also highlighting luxury yachts, high-end watches, and gadgets. An authentic automobile aficionado, his commitment shines through in educating readers about the automotive world. When the keyboard rests, Sayan feeds his wanderlust, traversing the world on his motorcycle.