It is hard to believe that the shape of the Continental has been with us for more than 12 years now and with the odd cosmetic tweak and engine upgrade it has managed to establish itself as the best selling Bentley by far. In fact, it is the main reason the company is now considered to be an instantly recognisable global brand which is no mean feat for a single model. Who knows, the Conti might do for Bentley what the 911 has done for Porsche over the decades.
In these times, it is the marketing man who sits at the top table with the company bosses and they look to him to mix his magic potions to eke out every drop of dream-inspiring imagery to help maintain market share of their brand and individual models. The Continental is a good example.
Think of a jolly jaunt down to Monaco in the blink of an eye, wafting along in a near-silent W12 to arrive refreshed at the Casino in time for a game or two of Black Jack.
How about a raucous blast in the Scottish Glens with a glorious V8 under the bonnet while the sports suspension lets you attack corners like Lewis Hamilton?
Fancy a cruise along the Pacific Highway from LA to San Diego? You can just picture yourself in a Continental GTC with the roof down soaking up the sun and the miles listening to Pink Floyd on the Naim audio system.
Get the point? Along with breaking ice speed records it seems there is a Continental for every occasion and for almost every year of production Bentley has tinkered with the ingredients to keep the model fresh in the public’s eye.
So far we have seen…..Mulliner Driving Specs, a Diamond Series, a GTZ, Series 51, Supersports, Speed 80-11 Editions, Design Series China, ISR Edition, GT Speed, GT Le Mans, GT3, GT V8S and GT3-R. Creative or what?
Most Continentals you will find on the road today will be the staple W12 or V8 Coupe but every now and then a ‘special edition’ will appear on our radar and this time it is a 2010 GT Speed W12.
The ‘Speed’ part of the moniker means that (for the 2010 year model) you could expect a not insignificant 602hp instead of the ‘standard’ car’s 552hp whilst sitting on slightly lowered suspension. In other words, it will give you an almighty shove in the back when you want it and is a genuine 200+ mph GT.
Finished in Moonbeam Silver with Beluga hide interior we have been asked to find a buyer for a particularly nice example of a GT Speed which was registered in May 2010 and has completed only 14000 miles since new. A recent service complements the already comprehensive history for the car and the MOT expires in May 2017.
This GT Speed car comes with the following optional extras:-
20″ Speed Dark Tint finish alloy wheels fitted with very good Pirelli PZero tyres, Convenience Specification, Front Massage Seats, Linen Contrast Stitching, Piano Black Trim, Alloy Fuel Filler Cap, CD Changer, Bluetooth, Rear View Camera, TV Tuner, Power Boot Function, Rear View Camera, Space-saving Spare Wheel, Drilled Alloy Sports Pedals, Multi-function Heated Steering Wheel in Single-tone Hide Trim with Brushed Switch Surround, Clear Protection Film to Front and Rear, Mirrors and Side Sills, Bright Chromed Matrix Grille plus Bright Chromed Lower Bumper Matrix Grille, Valet Key.
The following are standard features on the GT Speed:-
Auto-dimming Rear View Mirror, Bi-Xenon Headlamps, Automatic Headlights, Cruise Control, Diamond-quilted Seats, Diamond-quilted Leather Inserts, Electric Steering Column with Easy Exit, Key-less Entry, Heated Electric Seats, Power-fold Heated Mirrors with Memory, Telephone Voice Control, Infotainment System including Satellite Navigation, Multi-zone Climate Control, Rain-sensor Wipers, Tyre Pressure Monitoring, Ultrasonic Park Distance Control Front and Rear.
Phew – not many boxes were left unticked with this car it seems!
This splendid car is on sale at £67,250 so to find out more give The Car Spy a call on 01892 506970 or email sales@thecarspy.net
Please note that part exchanges may be considered.
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