Opening a replacement, additional eco-oriented chapter within the automaker’s prestigious saga, the 2013 Bentley Continental GT/GTC V8 Coupe and its GTC V8 Convertible counterpart create their official debut in Detroit. Slotting in beneath their senior siblings powered by the present 631-horsepower/6.0-liter twin-turbo W12, these new, additional fuel-efficient Continentals every pack a four.0-liter V8 tuned to crank out five hundred horsepower at half dozen,000 rpm and 487 lb-ft of torque from one,700-5,000 revs. Matched with a replacement close-ratio eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, the still impressively fast Continental GT/GTC couple can sprint to sixty mph in but five.0 seconds and prime out in way over a hundred and eighty mph.
Although 2013 Bentley Continental GT/GTC V8 has not released official EPA figures, each cars are expected to be ready to travel over five hundred miles on one tank of gas. Equally essential, the automaker noted that: “The arrival of the new V8 Continental models fulfills Bentley’s environmental commitment to supply a replacement powertrain that delivers a 40-percent improvement in fuel potency and CO2 emissions.”Co-developed with its VW cluster partner, Audi, this new 2013 Bentley Continental GT/GTC V8 shares abundant in common with the like-sized motivator found within the latest Audi S8. to assist optimize its operation underneath all driving conditions, it options a variable-displacement system controlled by a classy engine management package that permits it to seamlessly transition from a V8 to a V4 underneath light-weight throttle hundreds.
The engine’s economy-enhancing technology roster conjointly includes high-pressure direct fuel injection, variable valve timing, low-friction bearings, active thermal management and energy recuperation via “smart” programming of the electrical system moreover as having its turbo units nestle between the cylinder heads.
Power from this free-revving all-aluminum eight gets sent to all or any four corners through a replacement state-of-the art all-wheel-drive system that comes with a Torsen center differential and a 40/60 rear-biased power split. each the Continental GT V8 and GTC V8 can come back customary with 20-inch alloy wheels and supply a 21-inch upgrade choice.
Beyond their keener exhaust note that 2013 Bentley Continental GT/GTC V8 categorizes as a menacing growl these new V8 entries are distinguished from their W12 kin in a very range of tastefully refined ways in which. Key exterior tweaks embrace a gloss-black matrix main grille with chrome frame and center bar, a particular front fascia with black matrix inserts within the lower air intakes, a blackout rear lower valence panel, distinctive chrome “figure eight” exhaust tips and red-enamel Bentley “B” badges on the nose and tail. Inside, the V8s get their own dedicated leather/trim parts, distinctive Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus veneer and two-tone leather seat trim and a V8-specific shorter center console.
In commenting on the launch of those new V8 models, Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief govt, Bentley Motors noted that: “With the new four.0 liter V8 engine we tend to are widening the charm of the most recent generation of Continentals, introducing a totally new driving expertise. The new engine can have all the exhilarating power, drama and performance you’d expect from a V8 sporting the famous Bentley wings, effortlessly delivered with our characteristic ‘wave of torque.’ this can be complemented by innovative powertrain technology that delivers exceptional fuel potency and emissions.”
Set to launch in summer 2012, the new 2013 Bentley Continental GT/GTC V8s are expected to begin below the $200,000 mark. we must always get a stronger feel for its U.S. on-sale date and certain pricing window here when the cars are formally revealed in January.
