THE BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT S FOR SHANGHAI CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF THE ICONIC NAMEPLATE
Launched in 2003, the Bentley Continental GT helped turn Bentley into the most sought-after luxury car brand in the world. Back then the Continental GT offered a unique combination of amazing design, supercar performance and unrivalled craftsmanship. The car had a top speed of over 300 km/h, a 0-100 km/h launch in just 4.8 seconds and of course, it was all possible thanks to the firm’s iconic twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 powerplant that also celebrates the same 20th anniversary. The car is in its 3rd generation and the Continental GT and the Continental GTC continue to collect awards and accolades - in 2022 the Continental GT Speed won the Robb Report Car of the Year award; the Continental GT V8 S won the same award for 2023. The Continental GT also received back-to-back wins at the Auto Motor und Sport awards in February 2023 when it won the Luxury Class Import category for the second year in a row, chosen through a poll of over 100 000 readers. To celebrate 20 years of the amazing Bentley Continental GT range, Bentley Motors will host a 4-month-long celebration using unique models, special drives and events, the first of which kicked off recently at the Shanghai Auto Show with the unveiling of a one-of-one Continental GT S that’s been through the hands of Mulliner, the side of Bentley Motors responsible for creating bespoke and limited edition models. This one-of-one Continental GT S features custom commemorative badging, inlays and design motifs to mark the nameplate’s 20th anniversary. The exterior of the special GT S for Shanghai is covered with Magnetic Dark Grey Metallic patient highlighted by black chrome and 22-inch 10-spoke wheels in black. The brake calipers are red and they start a black and red theme carried on throughout the car. The interior features a two-tone finish in Beluga and Hotspur leather with Piano Black, excellent work by Mulliner. This theme is also seen on the dual-finish fascias, waistrails, centre console and treadplates.
In the cabin, the upper fascia veneer is in Granite Stone, while the lower veneer is in Grand Black and features a laser-etched overlay marking the 20th anniversary. A red pinstripe separates the two finishes and stretching across the fascia from door to door and passing across the upper vanes of the bullseye air vents. The treadplates display two silhouettes, one of the 1st generation Continental GT and one of the 3rd generation and the same design can be found on the centre console. The LED welcome lamps in the doors also have a unique design to celebrate the anniversary. Two drive hubs will celebrate 20 years of the Continental GT, one at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe and the other in Geneva. Both 1st and 2nd-generation Continental GT models from the Bentley Heritage Collection will be available to drive alongside the latest Continental GT range. A Bentley ‘baton’, designed and created in-house, will begin a global journey in May travelling in a variety of Continental GT models across Europe, the Middle East, China, Asia Pacific and the US before finally returning to Crewe. Here the baton, now containing 20 mementoes of the tour, will become a time capsule as a permanent reminder of a unique journey. The Continental GT’s birthday also marks 20 years of Bentley’s massive, powerful and iconic twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 powerplant. With the end of production of the engine scheduled for April 2024, only 12 months of W12 assembly remain before it makes way for Bentley’s electric future. This milestone will be celebrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (13-16 July), where Bentley will be celebrating the W12 with a moving showcase of W12-powered cars from the last 20 years, up to and including the new Bentley Batur by Mulliner. The first Continental GT to leave the production line at Crewe in 2003, VIN number 20001, was finished in Cypress Green with an interior in Saddle hide and Burr Walnut. From that day to this, it has remained in the company’s possession as a significant milestone in the Heritage Collection’s garage and will be on display at this year’s Monterey Car Week.
Take a look at the YouTube video showing off this amazing new addition to the 20-year-old Bentley Continental lineup, it shows off a summary of the evolution of the Bentley Continental GT range, a great way to show the world just how special this car is and what it means to the automaker, as well as the latest GT S as seen in the attached images: 20 Years of the Continental GT | CWMedia
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