HYBRID WORKING

Bentley's new Continental GT will be its most powerful and most advanced road car to date. A drive of a pre-production example provides our first taste of its new V8 hybrid powertrain

- STUART GALLAGHER

REALITY CHECK: THE W12 CONTINENTAL GT wasn't the best Conti GT. That accolade fell to the V8, which hit the sweet spot of effortless go and accomplished handling. Its performance was always just right, the drop in weight significant enough to apply another layer of polish to the big coupe's dynamics. But the W12 will be missed for its presence, its unique soundtrack and keen responses, and its ability to add some vigour and vitality to the process of wafting around in opulence and luxury.

Now it's gone, supplanted by an all-new powertrain that's tasked with replacing not only Bentley's iconic and unique 12-cylinder engine, but the VW Group's ubiquitous 4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that also served the Continental and the Flying Spur saloon - so well.

With the Conti GT accounting for one in three Bentleys sold, getting the powertrain right has not been something the company has taken lightly. Its relationship with its customers is on a par with those who car-shop in Maranello, which means it not only knows what they want from their Crewe-made cars, but crucially what they don't. And the requirements come under three core headings: Design, Performance and Technology.

On the first of those, you will need to wait until 25 June to see the new design for what Bentley is calling the fourth generation of Continental GT, but in the meantime we can reveal the technology that underpins it, and give you an impression of the performance it offers. And there's quite a lot of both.