It's hard not to feel a tad jaded in our business. Every week I'm presented with a new vehicle, and sometimes it gets to be so mundane and humdrum, one car kind of just blending into the next. It's not that I mean for it to be like that, just that it happens—sad, but true. I love my job and I love cars, but in today's market, everyone is playing the one-up game, which means most cars are basically the same with a very few minute changes to make them stand out from the crowd—hopefully.
And then I get to drive something like the 2012 Bentley Continental GT, and my childish excitement for automobiles and driving bubbles back to the surface in one big glorious rush.
Well, stand out from the crowd the Continental GT most definitely does, and in all the right ways. Some might think the Continental GT isn't a “real” Bentley. It's sporty, aggressive, some might even go so far as to say it's not refined—at least not as far as Bentley standards go. And to those people I'd say: You're just jealous.
Oh, alright, not all of them are. Some are diehard Bentley enthusiasts who feel the Continental GT is such a departure from the opulent, sophisticated, classic look of a Bentley that it's almost blasphemous. Well, to those people I say: sit behind the wheel and tell me again the Continental GT is a potmark on Bentley's flawless complexion. But before you do, take a closer look at the beefy front lip and classy front grille mesh coupled with the quad headlights in classic Bentley fashion. Let your eye drift back across the aerodynamically-shaped roofline and body, taking note of the muscular haunches flexed above 20” rubber, and how the stubby, almost plain rear end finishes off the Bentley Continental GT in automotive perfection.
You'd never know this was a 2012 model and not the previous-gen version. There are very few, if any, changes that have been made to the design, just a few body cuts and creases as well as a wider track and stance for better handling (which I think is more than alright). Otherwise, the Bentley is virtually unchanged. Some might see this as counterproductive, or even lazy, from a manufacturer in an industry that's built on change and all things “new.” But when it comes to Bentley, I say the more they stay the same, the more incredible they are.
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| Stand out from the crowd the Continental GT most definitely does, and in all the right ways. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |
And then I get to drive something like the 2012 Bentley Continental GT, and my childish excitement for automobiles and driving bubbles back to the surface in one big glorious rush.
Well, stand out from the crowd the Continental GT most definitely does, and in all the right ways. Some might think the Continental GT isn't a “real” Bentley. It's sporty, aggressive, some might even go so far as to say it's not refined—at least not as far as Bentley standards go. And to those people I'd say: You're just jealous.
Oh, alright, not all of them are. Some are diehard Bentley enthusiasts who feel the Continental GT is such a departure from the opulent, sophisticated, classic look of a Bentley that it's almost blasphemous. Well, to those people I say: sit behind the wheel and tell me again the Continental GT is a potmark on Bentley's flawless complexion. But before you do, take a closer look at the beefy front lip and classy front grille mesh coupled with the quad headlights in classic Bentley fashion. Let your eye drift back across the aerodynamically-shaped roofline and body, taking note of the muscular haunches flexed above 20” rubber, and how the stubby, almost plain rear end finishes off the Bentley Continental GT in automotive perfection.
You'd never know this was a 2012 model and not the previous-gen version. There are very few, if any, changes that have been made to the design, just a few body cuts and creases as well as a wider track and stance for better handling (which I think is more than alright). Otherwise, the Bentley is virtually unchanged. Some might see this as counterproductive, or even lazy, from a manufacturer in an industry that's built on change and all things “new.” But when it comes to Bentley, I say the more they stay the same, the more incredible they are.
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| Take a closer look at the beefy front lip and classy front grille mesh coupled with the quad headlights in classic Bentley fashion. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |