When it comes to offering buyers the ultimate car creating experience, few can top the charts the way Bentley can. The company’s strong emphasis on putting the customer first in the ultra-luxury segment has defined it for over 100 years and the British firm aims to continue this tradition with the all-new Continental GT-S and GTC-S models.
Back In Black And Sleeker Than Ever, This Continental S Has The Goods
All S models begin their lives as standard V8 models but they subsequently go under the knife to become S models. The exterior appointments are mostly limited to blacked-out pieces of trim including the front grille and wheels. However, the familiar hood-mounted “Flying B” badge doesn’t get blacked out this time and retains its stock chromed-out look along with the chrome lettering.
The interior has also been polished up and comes with a two-tone color scheme that will be exclusive to the S version. The treadplates have been replaced with S-adorned ones while the leather seats come with S logos embroidered into the headrests and sharp red contrast accents to make it look sportier. With the recently unveiled Azure line focusing on providing bespoke levels of comfort, it should come as no surprise that these S versions are catered towards the sportier side of life. A set of 22-inch Y-spoked wheels are standard on S, but buyers looking for a slightly more discreet set of hoops will be happy to know that a smaller set of 21-inch wheels will also be available.
Continental S Gets New Soundtrack
As for performance hardware, the S carries over mostly unchanged, with the 4.0 liter twin-turbocharged V8 continuing to see service. It still makes 542 hp but it now benefits from an all-new sport exhaust system. The new set of pipes helps turn up the volume on the car’s soundtrack but the quad-tipped marvel doesn’t change too much in terms of raw performance character so look for the S to be a familiar beast fro existing Continental V8 owners.
While these S models won’t match the W12 versions in terms of outright ferocity, they are an interesting alternative for buyers that want to have a sportier commute in their Bentley but want to do it in a package that’s less expensive than the W12 and can also help save a few miles per gallon at the pump too. The S models will also help Bentley pad their sales figures especially as the brand begins to move away from ICE models and towards a future dominated by hybrids and eventually all-electric offerings.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.