We review the Bentley Continental GT 4 Litre from price to economy and all its features
A FOUR-LITRE V8 engine that pumps out 500bhp hardly seems like downsizing.
But for Bentley owners it’s a hefty two-litre drop from what they are used to.
No-brainer ... Bentley Continental GT
They love big, powerful 12-cylinder engines and for years fuel economy and CO2 emissions have been irrelevant.
But even in the rarefied world of Bentley, miles per gallon and CO2 emissions are an issue. The four-litre Continental GT and GTC are the answer.
The question potential buyers will ask is how does this affect performance, and does it still sound like a thoroughbred Bentley?
The four-litre may be smaller but it has a distinct sound that gives it a unique character. As you push the accelerator, a deep rumble of power gradually gives way to a full-on eruption of noise.
It may be nanoseconds slower than the six-litre but 0-62mph in 4.8secs is still very quick, and a top speed of 188mph is more than enough to lose your licence.
Most owners, like me, will simply enjoy the adrenalin rush of driving a great British motoring aristocrat at speeds beyond most cars.
The four-litre improves fuel consumption by 40 per cent to return 28mpg — hardly earth-shattering but by Bentley standards it is a fuel miser. When cruising, four of the Bentley’s eight cylinders can shut down to help save fuel. It means you can get 525 miles on a tank.
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But as I found out, drive the four-litre flat-out and you will be closer to 16mpg.
Another figure that catches the eye is CO2 emissions that have been reduced from 385g/km to 246, reducing road tax to £790 for the first year.
The engine is 28kg lighter and 67bhp less powerful, but do you really need any more than 500bhp?
The four-litre also takes you everywhere in the lap of pure indulgence with its hand-stitched quilted leather and the finest wood veneers — a constant reminder why you pay big money for a Bentley.
I have saved the best figure until last: The price starts at £123,850 — a ten per cent discount on the six-litre version. It may be a fortune to you and me but for Bentley owners it is almost a bargain.
So for a car that looks identical, but delivers performance figures so close only racing drivers would notice the difference, you actually save cash on the purchase price, at the pumps and in road tax.
Seems a no-brainer to me.