2006 Bentley Continental GT Test Drive

The Younger, Hipper Bentley

Drive one and you'll be everybody's new best friend.

Performance

Power on hand in the Continental GT is so addictive that it should come with a warning label. The 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12, coupled with standard all-wheel drive, offers acceleration comparable to a jet plane upon takeoff.

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Thankfully, the AWD and a sublime six-speed clutchless manual transmission keep the 552 horses and 479 pound-feet of torque under control. Volkswagen created the W12 engine architecture — so called because of its 12 staggered cylinders positioned in a "W" (see third entry on trivia page for more info) — but Bentley tuned the engine to its satisfaction. A milder form of this power plant is found in various upmarket Audis and the Volkswagen Phaeton.

The transmission can be used like an automatic. Manual mode allows the driver to shift with paddles behind the steering wheel or by tapping the center-console shift lever forward and back. Although the six-speed works well, having the shift paddles mounted on the column rather than attached to the steering wheel requires an awkward reach to change gears midturn. Stick with automatic mode. The Continental GT's potent engine offers instantaneous power at virtually any speed, so there's no need to shift and hunt for the meaty part of the power band.

Steering is speed-sensitive and well weighted. At parking-lot speeds it’s light, requiring little more than fingertips to maneuver the car. And the Continental GT has a surprisingly tight turning circle, though the car’s huge blind spots make parallel parking difficult. At higher speeds the steering tightens considerably, helping the car feeling extremely stable on the highway. However, the Continental GT's 5,300 pounds are a constant reminder that this is a big grand tourer, more adept on flat, open roads than a racetrack.

On any road, the Continental GT is whisper-quiet. But serenity is easily disrupted with bursts of acceleration bringing acoustic fireworks — a mix of V12 wail and V8 rumble. The sound and fury never failed to elicit laughter — or a few choice expletives — from passengers.