The Bentley Continental GT V8S is the real sweet-spot of the range – with monster power in the form of 528-horsepower to an optimized and sportified chassis re-engineer. There are just no words to describe the nimble, light and resolutely rear-drive feel of this twin-turbo V8. Yet there is grip for days and the ability to drive hard, rain or shine, with pace to make supercars blush.

Nothing else with 502-pound-feet of torque is this race-able in a complete downpour, including the Continental’s new nemesis: the Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic.

The Bentley somehow feels small and accurate in its typical size and price class. The full load of torque hits at just 1700-rpm in the tachometer, romping to 60-mph in an official 4.5-seconds.

As a convertible, the car is perhaps even more delightful. There is a superb and unshakeable sense of rigidity to this ragtop, which is also unbelievably quiet and insulated.

HD DRIVE VIDEO

This 2015 Mulliner Driving Specification car has the limited-edition, black-spoked 21-inch wheels and a variety of stunning options. The most noticeable? A delicious White Satin paintjob. This is a stunning finish, with depth and metallic fleck unlike any matte finish. But like a matte finish, this White Satin finish lacks a glossy topcoat. The result is unique and visually stunning in the flesh.

Claret is the name of the red top and cabin, which also featured the Naim premium audio system.

Back to the stunning pace, handling and feel :as shown in the below video, the Bentley V8S has a fantastic sense of presence when you floor the throttle. Unlike some giant luxury cars, the spec here ensures there is no ‘floor it and hang on’ type of feel, where you momentarily lose feel and a bit of control. The V8S is always present and in the moment, with control inputs that can only be described as fun and playful.

At the same time, its air suspension and adaptive dampers make cornering flat and bumps disappear.

The Sport Exhaust is a stellar option, while you are adding cool features. Check out the full engine bellow in the Dallas Motor Speedway infield tunnel below….

2016 UPDATES

This 2015 model is already a bit dated, however. The freshened front fascia shown in Geneva is already featured on the BentleyMotors.com configurator — with its new-shape lower bumper the main difference.

Most of the other 2016 updates are about applying the chassis sportiness from this V8S to the other engines and trim levels of this — the world’s most luxurious and most-comfortable rally ragtop!

Your passenger and back seats will soon be filled by three new best friends — enjoying the Conti GT lifestyle, rain or shine.

 

2015 Bentley Continental GT V8S Convertible

EXTERIOR

 

Build your own and check out the 2016 range over at the below link….

http://www.bentleyconfigurator.com/BentleyConfiguratorWeb.asp?lModelID=346

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

	Continental GT V8 S	Continental GT V8 S Convertible
Engine
Type	4-litre twin-turbocharged direct injection V8 with cylinder deactivation
Max Power	521 bhp / 528 PS / 389 KW @ 6,000 rpm
Max Torque	680 Nm / 502 lb.ft @ 1700 rpm
Transmission
Type	ZF 8-speed automatic with Quickshift, Block Shifting and column mounted paddleshift
Driveline	Continuous all-wheel drive (40:60 rear bias)
Ratios	1st : 4.71; 2nd: 3.14; 3rd: 2.1; 4th: 1.67; 5th: 1.29; 6th: 1.00; 7th: 0.839; 8th: 0.667
Final Drive	2.85
Brakes
Front	405mm ventilated discs (optional 420mm Carbon Silicon Carbide, cross drilled)
Rear	335mm ventilated discs (optional 356mm, Carbon Silicon Carbide, cross drilled)
Wheels and Tyres
Wheels	New unique 20″ x9.5J Open-spoke wheel in two finishes, 1x other 20″ and 4x 21″ designs in two finishes
Tyres	275/40 ZR20, optional 275/35 ZR21
Steering
Type	Rack & pinion, power assisted, speed-sensitive ZF servotronic
Turns lock-to-lock	2.6 turns
Turning circle	11.3 m
Suspension
Front	Four link double wishbones, computer controlled self-levelling air suspension, with anti-roll bar
Rear	Trapezoidal multi-link, computer-controlled self-levelling air suspension, with anti-roll bar
Damping	Continuous Damping Control, tuned for dynamic performance
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2746 mm / 108.1 in
Overall length	4806 mm / 189.2 in
Width (across body)	1944 mm / 76.5 in
Width (inc. mirrors)	2227 mm / 87.7 in
Overall height	1394 mm / 54.9 in	1403 mm / 55.2 in
Fuel tank	90 litres / 20 gallons / 24 US gallons
Boot volume	358 litres / 12.6 cu ft	260 / 9.18 cu ft
Kerb weight (EU)	2295 kg / 5060 lb	2470 kg / 5445 lb
Gross vehicle weight	2750 kg / 6063 lb	2900 kg / 6393 lb
Performance
Top speed	192 mph / 309 km/h	191 mph / 308 km/h
0-60 mph	4.3 secs	4.5 secs
0-100 mph	10.3 secs	10.6 secs
0-100 km/h	4.5 secs	4.7 secs
0-160 km/h	10.3 secs	10.6 secs
Fuel Consumption (EU cycle)*
Urban	18.4 mpg / 15.4 litres/100 km	17.9 mpg / 15.8 litres/100 km
Extra Urban	36.7 mpg / 7.7 litres/100 km	35.3 mpg / 8 litres/100 km
Combined	26.8 mpg / 10.6 litres/100 km	25.9 mpg / 10.9 litres/100 km
CO2 emissions	246 g/km	254 g/km
Fuel Consumption (EPA cycle)**
City (US mpg)	15	14
Highway (US mpg)	24	24
Combined (US mpg)	18	17
Emissions Controls	EU 5 and US LEV II

* Fuel consumption figures are provisional and subject to Type Approval.
** Fuel consumption figures are provisional and subject to EPA certification.