Bentley Continental GT coupe - Interior & comfort

Bentley is renowned for crafting some of the world’s finest car interiors, and it’s probably no surprise that the latest model is incredibly well finished. Leather covers almost every surface, apart from those trimmed in wood, and the end result is an interior that beats the Aston Martin DB11 hands down.

Bentley Continental GT dashboard

One of our favourite features is the optional central display, that actually forms one side of a rotating triangle. When the car is turned off, it automatically turns to reveal a wooden veneer that perfectly matches the rest of the dashboard, while the third side is home to a set of analogue instrument gauges. The decision to avoid the dual-screen setup from the Audi A8 means there are more physical buttons to contend with, but they are logically laid-out.

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Every switch and control is also unique to Bentley, rather than lifted from a cheaper Audi or Volkswagen and the front seats tread the line between comfort and support perfectly. They can also give you a massage on a long trip (or while stuck in traffic). There are some more concessions to modernity, such as Apple CarPlay and an optional head-up display that projects driving information ahead of the driver.

The Continental GT Mulliner is even more exclusive, thanks to a new grille, 22-inch alloy wheels and a diamond stitched interior, along with lashings of Mulliner badges. There's even a Breitling clock in the centre console. The Mulliner Blackline sees the grille, wheels (with self-levelling badges) and exterior chrome finished in black for a more stealthy look.

To mark out the Speed version, there are 'Speed' badges on the dash, sill plates and headrests. Diamond-quilted leather upholstery and a dark engine-turned aluminium finish for the centre console are also fitted as standard.

Options

It’s unlikely Bentley has ever sold a ‘standard’ Continental GT because the personalisation options are so fundamental to the car, no two that leave the factory are quite the same. For a start, over 10 square metres of wood is used to trim the interior and a dual-veneer is being offered for the first time. There’s also an almost-endless choice of colours for the leather upholstery, along with a new quilted design that has taken 18 months to perfect.

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Several options packs are offered, including City Specification and Touring Specification. The former adds hands-free boot opening, autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian warning), traffic-sign recognition and a bird’s-eye parking camera. Touring makes long-distance driving more relaxed, adding adaptive cruise control, active lane-keeping assistance, a head-up display, night vision and traffic-jam assistance.

Three stereo systems are available, from the standard 10-speaker/650-watt setup to a 16-speaker/1,500-watt  Bang & Olufsen hi-fi and the range-topping 2,200-watt Naim system, featuring 18 speakers, 'Active Bass Transducers' built into the front seats and eight sound programmes. The Naim system is incredibly expensive, but it is a remarkable piece of kit for those interested in sound quality – we're yet to hear any hi-fi in a car that can match it.

Technology

Bentleys haven’t always been famed for the latest in-car technology, but the Continental's ‘retina-quality’ 12.3-inch infotainment display should satisfy buyers. It features real-time traffic updates, Apple CarPlay and Google point-of-interest searches, along with quick access to the emergency services through eCall.