Test Drive: The All-New 2019 Bentley Continental GT
Head of Interior Design John Paul Gregory on sculptural nuance and technology
The all-new third generation Bentley Continental GT is as enjoyable to drive as it is to look at. Nearly every aspect of the car has been refined, creating one of the world’s greatest Grand Tourers. We had the pleasure of getting behind the wheel in prime GT territory, the Austrian Alps and northeastern Italy. From its elegant super-formed body (it’s the first Bentley with multiple super-formed aluminum panels, a technology that allows for crisper forms as there are no seams to weld) to its chic hand-sewn interior and (finally) next generation tech, it’s a standard bearer for the category and an icon for what Bentley stands for today.
The all-new Continental GT checks all the boxes—it feels, drives and handles well and has the latest generation of driver assistance tools; the familiar but evolved exterior design, with its tighter front-end, radiant new headlights and new lighter oval taillights pleases in all directions. It’s the interior, though, where the car outshines nearly all others. Its 300,000+ hand-stitches cocoon you in one of the finest examples of bespoke hand-tailored luxury available today, cosseting you from the harsh realities of the outside world and the plastic interiors that most of us endure. Highlights include the new Côtes de Genève finish (inspired by the decoration of the same name most often found on Swiss luxury watches) on metal knobs and surfaces and the new rotating “Toblerone” centerpiece which rotates between a plain dial or digital surface—meaning you can hide the tech when not needed. Luxury increasingly means getting away from the technology overtaking our lives—and you can do it here.
While in Austria we spoke with John Paul Gregory, the head of interior design at Bentley, who walks us through the car’s design evolution through his eyes. And for a tour inside the Bentley factory in Crewe, England, watch our CH Video.
The 2019 Bentley Continental GT offers extensive personalization, and of course you can work with their Mulliner division to customize it in any way you desire. Price in the US starts around $225,000.
Images courtesy of Bentley
