The Grandest

Centenary celebrations are underway for this iconic British car manufacturer, and we happily agreed to join the party. In doing so, we also got to drive the third-generation Bentley Continental GT.

- Jared Solomon

The Continental GT is single-handedly responsible for bringing Bentley back to life. After a rough and patchy history with many highs and lows, VW finally gained control and decided to pump in an absurd amount of money – half a billion euros – to develop this particular model that would change the concept of luxury grand touring forever.

With its huge success, the first-generation Continental GT quickly became a car that was driven by royalty and football superstars alike. Quite simply, if you had the money, and if you wanted something cool, stylish, uber luxurious and fast, the GT became the obvious choice for many. Bentley even prides itself in the fact that many Italian celebrities prefer this classy and unique sports car over their own local exotics.

Almost a century since the brand came into existence, they’re now doing better than ever. To celebrate their upcoming 100th anniversary, I was lucky enough to be invited to visit their global headquarters and factory in Crewe, and then I was handed the keys to a brand-new third generation Continental GT, which is now better than ever before.

Love at first sight

I simply love the design of this car, and I would think anyone else crazy if they didn’t at least find it appealing. The aluminium body is quite a spectacle, and the long creases along the body, and the detailing, as well as the wide haunches, make it look like a body builder dressed in a three-piece governor’s suit. The front section of the car is long and it gets a beautiful large grille. The headlights also look like diamonds sparkling through a vortex of some sort. The taillights match the exhaust in terms of its elongated oval design and the rear section is wide but smooth and flowing. The large wheels add even more definition and give it a proper sports car look.