The shape of the new Bentley Continental GT coupe's body is also more aerodynamic following extensive wind tunnel analysis. In conjunction with a range of extensive underbody refinements (including wheel arch and exhaust aerodynamic aids) the GT's coefficient of drag has been reduced to 0.33Cd and the lift at the front and rear axles has also been reduced to create greater stability at higher speeds.
The new Bentley Continental GT is specified with 20-inch alloy wheels as standard, with, for the first time on the Continental family, the option to upgrade to 21-inch designs. Three styles of wheel are offered - a 20-inch five-spoke version and two 21-inch Elegant and split-rim Sports variations, which come in a variety of chromed and painted finishes.
"The new GT coupe has an even stronger sporting character than ever before. It is an exceptionally refined and comfortable 2+2 Grand Tourer but with the heart, soul and looks of a supercar." - Dirk van Braeckel, Director of Design
CONTEMPORARY, HAND-CRAFTED CABIN WITH BENTLEY'S RENOWNED REFINEMENT
With an entirely hand-crafted interior, the Bentley Continental GT's cabin sets new standards in refinement and luxury to create a stylish space in which up to four people can relax in total comfort.
The instrument panel and dashboard subtly echo the flying wings of the Bentley motif and are fashioned from the highest quality soft-touch leathers. New touchscreen technology and chrome-bezelled dials are housed within this dynamic cockpit area, which rises from the centre console in the form of dramatically surfaced 'wing' buttresses.
The striking and unique 'Cobra' design seats are supremely comfortable thanks to the introduction of the latest body-supporting materials which use complex foams to provide softness at first touch but with excellent support over longer journeys.
The seats can be specified with front-seat ventilation as well as a state-of-the-art massage system with 10 individual massage cells and individual side airbags are provided as standard for all passengers. Front seatbelts feature a new electrically-operated automatic presenter, making buckling-up effortless. Driver knee airbags are standard fitment.
The new Bentley Continental GT offers superb everyday usability. The new slim-line front seats with scalloped backs also provide a further 46mm of legroom for back-seat passengers and easy access to the rear cabin.
No other Grand Tourer offers such impressive levels of refinement thanks to the advanced noise-suppression technology that includes acoustic glazing, under-floor shields and hidden anti-vibration panels throughout the interior.
The cabin is trimmed with soft-touch leathers, a full range of wood veneers, cool-touch metals and deep-pile carpets - all hand-crafted in Bentley's unrivalled workshops at the factory in Crewe, England. The attention to detail even extends to applying a UV stabilizer to the wood veneers to protect from bleaching, thus ensuring they can be enjoyed as new for decades to come.
Every leather hide is still sewn under the watchful eye of Bentley's highly skilled craftsmen and women. By incorporating ingenious, angled 'ramps' behind the leather, the interior designers have created sharp, well-defined styling lines, while maintaining a soft-touch.
Other simple yet practical functions include a powered boot as standard, Electronic Park Brake with Move Off Assist and newly designed, leather-lined door stowage bins with an integrated bottle holder.
"The new GT coupe interior combines form, practicality and innovation. Our task was to translate the original design sketches for the car's cabin - which were quite extreme, almost revolutionary for a Bentley - into the final design. The result is a cockpit that moves the Continental GT on to the next generation." - Darren Day, Senior Designer
Complementing its contemporary cabin, the new Continental GT also features advanced new touchscreen technology with rich map imagery and a 30GB on board hard drive.
The Bentley Continental GT coupe also benefits from telephone and music player connectivity, digital television (where available) and DVD movie playback. Music can be played and controlled directly from an iPod® as well as from a six-disc CD changer, SD card reader or directly from the car's hard-disc drive, which can store up to 15GB of music.
MORE POWERFUL W12 AND NEW HIGH-OUTPUT, HIGH-EFFICIENCY V8
The Bentley Continental GT is set to have a choice of two very distinctive high-performance engines. In addition to the new 575PS version of Crewe's renowned 6.0 litre W12 powertrain, a new high-output 4.0-litre V8 engine option will be introduced in late 2011.
The new 4.0-litre V8 engine honours Bentley's environmental commitment to deliver a powertrain that achieves a 40 percent improvement in CO2 emissions. The new V8 is being designed specifically by Bentley's engineers to deliver all the exhilarating power and torque synonymous with the marque. The new Crewe-built engine will also offer a class-leading CO2 emissions-to-power ratio.
At launch, the new Bentley Continental GT coupe is powered by the latest evolution of Bentley's acclaimed 12-cylinder, 6-litre twin-turbocharged engine, now calibrated to provide even greater performance, thanks to increases in power, torque and fuel efficiency.
Designed in a unique 'W' configuration, it is the most compact and technologically advanced 12-cylinder engine in the world. Four camshafts and 48 valves allow the engine to breathe effortlessly and help to generate the distinctive Bentley wave of torque. It is also capable of running on petrol (gasoline), E85 bioethanol or any mix of the two - all from a single tank.
Further revisions to the new Bentley Continental GT coupe's engine include low friction, lightweight components which allow the W12-format engine to rev even more freely, while the latest engine management system and twin, low-inertia turbochargers are optimised to ensure minimal turbo lag.
Overall, the Bentley Continental GT coupe is 65kg lighter than its predecessor thanks to reductions in all areas of the car from engine components through to new seats. With its power output raised by 15PS and torque by 50 Nm - to 575PS (567bhp/423kW) and 700Nm (516lb ft) - the result is a 6 percent improvement in the new GT's power-to weight-ratio, making it capable of accelerating from zero to 60mph in just 4.4 seconds (0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds) with a top speed of 198mph (318km/h).
The increased power and torque are transmitted to the all-wheel drive system via an uprated six-speed Quickshift transmission, which halves shift times (to just 200 milliseconds). The revised gearbox also has the ability to deliver double downshifts (sixth to fourth gear, for example) and improves acceleration across the entire gear range. To cope with the additional power and torque, the planetary gear set of the six-speed ZF transmission is also strengthened.
Positive torque during downshifts is achieved through engine and gearbox electronic controller interaction for extra throttle and fuel injection during the overrun, replicating manual throttle 'blips' for precise rev matching . During transmission upshifts, fuel and ignition are cut momentarily to give faster mechanical shift times through torque reduction, also improving shift quality and durability.
"The W12's extra power and torque and Quickshift transmission endow the new Bentley Continental GT with instantly accessible supercar performance across the complete rev range. At the same time, Bentley's pioneering use of FlexFuel technology underlines our ongoing environmental commitment." - Brian Gush, Director, Chassis and Powertrain, Engineering
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
•ENGINE
◦Type: 6-litre twin-turbocharged W12
◦Max Power: 567bhp / 423kW / 575PS @ 6000 rpm
◦Max Torque: 700Nm / 516lb/ft @ 1700 rpm
•TRANSMISSION
◦ZF 6-speed automatic with quickshift and steering wheel-mounted paddleshift
◦Driveline: Continuous all-wheel drive (40:60 rear bias)
◦Ratios:
■1st - 4.17
■2nd - 2.34
■3rd - 1.52
■4th - 1.14
■5th - 0.87
■6th - 0.69
■Final drive: 3.526
•BODY CONSTRUCTION
◦Steel monocoque
•BRAKES
◦Front: 405mm ventilated discs (optional 420mm Carbon Silicon Carbide, cross drilled)
◦Rear: 335mm ventilated discs (optional 356mm, Carbon Silicon Carbide, cross drilled)
•WHEELS AND TYRES
◦9.5J x 20" (optional 9.5J x 21")
◦275/40ZR 20 (optional 275/35 ZR21 linked to option wheels)
•STEERING
◦Type: rack & pinion, power assisted, speed-sensitive ZF servotronic
◦Turns lock to lock: 2.6 turns
◦Turning circle: 11.3m
•SUSPENSION
◦Front: Four link double wishbones, computer controlled self-levelling air suspension, with anti roll-bar.
◦Rear: Trapezoidal multi-link, computer-controlled self-levelling air suspension, with anti roll-bar.
◦Damping: Continuous Damping Control, tuned for dynamic performance.
•DIMENSIONS
◦Wheelbase: 2746 mm / 108.1 in
◦Overall Length: 4806 mm / 189.2 in
◦Width (across body): 1944 mm / 76.5 in
◦Width (including mirrors): 2227 mm / 87.7 in
◦Overall Height: 1404 mm / 55.3 in
◦Fuel Tank: 90 litres / 20 gallons / 24 US gallons
◦Boot Volume: 358 litres / 12.6 cu ft
◦Kerb Weight (EU): 2320 kg / 5115 lb
◦Gross Vehicle Weight: 2750 kg / 6063 lb
•PERFORMANCE
◦Top Speed: 318 km/h (198 mph)
◦0-100 km/h: 4.6 s
◦0-160 km/h: 10.2 s
◦0-60 mph: 4.4 s
◦0-100 mph: 10.2 s
◦50-80 km/h (30-50 mph): 1.7 s
◦80-120 km/h (50-75 mph): 2.9 s
•FUEL CONSUMPTION (EU Cycle)
◦Urban: 25.4 l/100km (11.1 mpg)
◦Extra Urban: 11.4 l/100km (24.9 mpg)
◦Combined: 16.5 l/100km (17.1 mpg)
◦CO2 emissions: 384 g/km
•FUEL CONSUMPTION (EPA Cycle)
◦City Driving: 12.0 mpg (US)
◦Highway Driving: 19.0 mpg (US)
◦Combined : 14.0 mpg (US)
No comments:
Post a Comment