Test Car Specifications
Model: 2023 Bentley Continental GTC S
Price: Continental GT S from £206,600
Engine: 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 petrol
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power: 550hp
Torque: 770Nm
Emissions: 284g/km
Economy: 22.6mpg
0-62mph: 4.0 seconds
Top speed: 198mph
Boot space: 235 litres
Styling
Bentley hasn't made huge changes to the Continental GTC (for those uninitiated in Bentley nomenclature, the C stands for convertible) in making the switch to S form. Yes, there's some gloss black exterior trim, new 22-inch wheels and some dark-tinted lights at the front and rear, but that's about it. Otherwise, it's standard GTC fare, with the muscular-yet-elegant body, long nose and big wheels. This is probably the best-looking Continental GTC yet, and while on balance, we prefer the traditional chrome brightwork, the sporty tweaks do little to damage the overall image.
Interior
As with the exterior, the GTC S's interior has had a minor makeover, with new fluted S-design sports seats the highlight. There's Dinamica microfibre trim as standard, creating a sporty contrast to the leather that remains, and there's some S embroidery and badging to help the car stand out. But if you want a more luxurious cabin, you can still get full leather and wood trim, albeit in a special colour split designed specifically for the S model.
Whatever you choose, though, you're getting a wonderfully crafted cabin. The basic design is the same as that of any other Continental GT, so there's a big central touchscreen and a digital instrument cluster, plus a massive swathe of veneer punctuated by chrome vents and organ-stop controls. And the craftsmanship on display is fantastic, with almost every piece hand-trimmed to create this incredible sense of quality and solidity. It's a glorious environment in which to spend time.
Practicality
We doubt anybody will be too surprised to find the Continental GTC is not the most practical car on the market, despite its immense size. Yes, it does have four seats, but fitting four six-foot adults in there would be a foolish endeavour doomed for failure – at least with the roof up. Sit two shorter adults in tandem and you might manage to take four, but those seats are really best reserved for kids. And then there’s the boot. At 235 litres, it’s pretty small, and while you can fit enough luggage in there for a weekend away, it’s hardly the sort of space you want for a family holiday.
Performance
Although this is the S version of the Continental GTC, designed to be the sharpest of the convertible Contis, it doesn't have the most powerful engine in the range. Instead, there's a 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 under that long bonnet, producing a sufficient 550hp. As usual, that heads to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and that means the big drop-top will get from 0-62mph in about four seconds, before surging on to a top speed of 198mph.
It's pretty quick, then, but the GTC Speed will wipe the floor with it in a straight line. But that's not what the S is for. This version of the Continental is designed to feel sharper in corners and provide a brutal soundtrack, courtesy of its new sports exhaust. And the noise is fabulous, particularly when it bounces off tunnels and walls, and you can feel the fury stored behind the grille.
Ride & Handling
The Bentley Continental has a fine line to tread, and this version walks a particularly precarious tight rope. On the one hand it must be the quintessential grand tourer – a big, comfy, effortless drop-top – but it also has to be more agile and more aggressive than the standard car to justify the S moniker.
In many ways, the GTC S achieves that simply by dint of that V8 engine. Because it’s lighter than the W12 used in the GTC Speed, the car feels more lively when you turn into a corner and it feels sharper when you move the wheel. But it’s still a big, heavy car, and that effectively prevents it from ever feeling too sporty.
For something this big, however, it drives majestically. The steering is great, the body is surprisingly well controlled, and the ride is very pliant, which allows it to keep some of that grand tourer DNA even when it’s in its sportiest settings. And the settings do make a difference. Comfort mode is only really useful for long motorway journeys, where it gives the car this beautiful sense of waftiness, but it does so at the cost of control in corners. Stick with Sport mode, meanwhile, and the ride gets a bit firmer, but the car feels as agile and as pointy as the Porsche Panamera with which it shares its underpinnings.
Combine that with the savage snarl of the V8 engine and the option of lowering the roof, and you’ve got a fantastic all-round package, equally capable of long hauls on the motorway or quick blasts down country lanes. It’s a proper Bentley.
Value
The Continental GT isn’t cheap in any form, and S models cost more than £200,000 before you so much as look at the options list. Realistically, once you’ve got the GTC S you want, you’re talking about the thick end of £250,000. Is it worth that? Well, that comes down to how much you want one, but you get plenty of equipment, including the touchscreen, digital instrument display and reversing camera – that’s all standard. You may have to pay more for some of the nicer upgrades – your choice of leather, wood and all that jazz – but even a completely basic Conti (rare thing that it would be) comes with plenty of toys.
Verdict
Thanks to its performance, soundtrack and lightness (relatively speaking) the V8 S is the ultimate Continental GT Convertible. Admittedly, it never quite breaks into the realms of sports cars, but it's a fabulous big GT car that handles with more agility than its bulk might suggest. If you want a drop-top Conti that does it all, this is the one to have.
