Featuring a few subtle driver-focused enhancements and exterior styling tweaks, Bentley has unveiled a new ‘S’ trim for the Continental GT saloon, Continental GTC convertible and Flying Spur saloon, which the brand says provides enhanced driving performance and visual presence.
This sporty new variant of the two-door Continental GT luxury saloon and Continental GTC convertible is based on the V8-powered versions of each model, and comes with a few cosmetic changes, as well as featuring a new exhaust system and Bentley’s ‘Dynamic Ride’ suspension setup.
This suspension package – already available with the ‘GT Speed’ trim – uses an electronic anti-roll system that increases the car’s stability when cornering at speed, while minimising bumps and vibrations in more relaxed cruising situations.
The new Bentley Continental GT S and GTC S models use the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 found on the standard model, but the new exhaust system amplifies the noise level under acceleration.
Distinguishing itself from the regular Continental, the ‘S’ trim features a black gloss radiator grille with ‘S’ branding above the wheel arches in the front. The headlights and tail lights have a dark tint that Bentley says emphasises the trim’s “sporting character”, and the ‘S’ can be configured with unique 22-inch alloy wheels painted in black chrome.
In the cabin, the interior upholstery has a two-tone colour scheme, trimmed in leather and a suede-like material called dinamica. The headrests are adorned with more ‘S’ trim branding, and the tread plates are marked with the same lettering. Additionally, the Continental GT S and GTC S come with a digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, a feature found on range-topping models.
Bentley has not yet released pricing for the ‘S’ trim, but the layout of the brand’s website suggests that it will slot into the middle of the trim range, below the range-topping ‘GT Speed’ and ‘GT Mulliner’ trims. The entry-level price for a Bentley Continental GT stands at £157,900.
Sharing its underpinnings with the Porsche Panamera, the Bentley Continental GT arrived in the UK in 2018, and has received unanimously positive reviews since. The luxury saloon variant currently holds an Expert Rating of 84%, while the GTC convertible holds an Expert Rating of 81%.
The new Bentley Flying Spur S is available with the same 4.0-litre V8 as the Continental GT range, or with a six-cylinder hybrid powertrain. This new ‘S’ variant of the Flying Spur gets similar visual tweaks too, with black trim replacing most of the exterior chrome and the headlights and tail lights with a dark tint.
The same ‘S’ badging is present on the saloon’s front wheel arches, and the Flying Spur S can be specced with five-spoke 22-inch alloy wheels – a unique feature for the trim level. Inside, the upholstery is trimmed in the same leather and a suede-like materials, and the Flying Spur S is also equipped with Bentley’s ‘Dynamic Ride’ suspension setup.
On sale since 2019, the Bentley Flying Spur currently holds an Expert Rating of 83%, having received glowing reports for its luxury and driving dynamics. That said, consumer-oriented titles have pointed out its obvious shortcomings in areas like value for money and fuel economy.
