Car Reviews > Bentley > Continental > Bentley Continental V8 Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Prices: £20,000 (estimated)
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol
Gearbox: 8-speed, 4-wheel drive
Power/torque: 500 bhp/ 660 Nm
0-62 mph: 4.8 seconds
Top Speed: 188 miles per hour
Economy: 27 miles per gallon
Emissions: 246g per kilometre
Equipment: GPS, 8-inch touch screen, leather upholstery, 20-inch alloy wheels, climate control

The W12 engine disappears but is replaced by a twin-turbo V8 in this more efficient new Bentley Continental.

All manufacturers of automobiles now have to adhere to much stricter CO2 emissions levels, and Bentley is no exception to the rule. To make it happen, the British based manufacturer has given the Continental a new twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine which is more than 40 per cent extra efficient than is the case with the current 6.0-litre W12. The question, though, is does it still have the same character?

There is something a little bit different about this new Bentley Continental, something that the visual clues such as the likes of the figure of eight exhausts and more aggressive front spoiler, may be a little too subtle to instantly give away. While the new unit has been developed jointly with Audi, it still comes with its own unique character, able to reach a bhp rating of 5000 upon reaching 6000 revs per minute, as well as an astonishing (for a petrol engine) torque level of 660 Nm from 1700 revs per minute all the way through to 5000 revs per minute.

Add to that the ZF’s 8-speed automatic (which is not available with the W12 model) and this would appear to be a marriage made in Heaven, at least on paper. The vehicle can still get from 0-62 miles per hour in as little as under five seconds, and comes with a top speed of 180 miles per hour, and yet it delivers an improvement of no less than 40 per cent over the W12 in terms of fuel consumption thanks largely to the clever cylinder deactivation technology. That technology effectively turns off half of the eight cylinders, two per bank, whenever the engine is under cruising condition while lightly loaded and up to 70 miles per hour. The result of this is an average of 27 miles per gallon, which is more than enough to make each tank of petrol able to deliver around 500 miles.

While anti-noise control (ANC) and electronic active engine mounts have been chosen by Audi in order to quell the engine note when it is in V4 mode, Bentley has chosen a purer engineering solution, not wishing to alienate audiophiles who did not fancy the idea of the ANC causing interference with their listening. Add to that the complete absence of any kind of ‘green’ meter to tell you that the vehicle is in eco-mode and the combined result is that the experience of changing between V4 and V3 modes is completely unnoticeable.

The new Continental is not just about less trips to the petrol pump, however. As well as the exciting new engine note, the car’s dynamics have also had new life breathed into them. The new engine is lighter, which has enabled the engineers at Bentley to tweak the suspension and the anti-roll bars in order to create a much nimbler vehicle, something that really shows when on the track.

By providing a vehicle that offers highly impressive running costs, particularly given the performance, Bentley has effectively thrown down the gauntlet to the likes of class rivals Aston Martin, Maserati and even Ferrari. While the Continental may lose out in terms of outright dynamics, ultimately, it is not by much and the V8 is now definitely the Continental to buy in the UK and Europe.

by Autoweb