Facelifted Bentley Continental GT: the lowdown
Even Bentleys need a facelift every now and then. Both the Continental GT coupe and the Flying Spur saloon are in line for some extremely subtle modifications inside and out and we’ll see the results later this year. Well, those with a magnifying glass and an anorak will. The Conti GT has been on sale for three years now and sales show no signs of dwindling, especially with the arrival of the Flying Spur saloon and Continental GTC soft-top. These new additions, and the imminent facelift of existing models, will help swell sales beyond last year’s 9200, Bentley hopes. Bursting through 10,000 models a year will be quite an achievement for Crewe.
What will change on the facelift, then?
You really have to look long and hard to spot the changes. Both Continental models are in for mildly restyled bumpers at both ends, the front of which has a new mesh detail and repositioned air intakes. Bentley is considering a new set of rims and the cabin will be given a spruce-up, too. We understand that the changes are purely cosmetic, though, so the 6.0-litre W12 and its 552bhp are to be left alone for now.
Will it cost any more?
Bentley hasn’t ruled out a small price rise, but don’t expect anything dramatic. It would be unfair to rack up prices just for some reshaped plastic, particularly seeing as the car will already set you back £117,500. Despite the talk of a revised interior, we’ve not seen any interior photos yet. The Continental GT has not undergone any significant cosmetic change since its arrival in 2004. Last autumn saw the addition of a few minor trim changes and a driving pack, but little more. Bentley is instead focusing its engineering efforts on the new 530bhp, twin-turbo Brooklands Coupe which goes on sale in early 2008.