It’s been seven months since the third generation of the Bentley Continental GT made its global bow and it was only just about a month ago that the grandtourer came to our shores. Today however, we got a sweet chance to view this specially decked out version of the Continental GT, called the First Edition.
Sporting a stylish silver-tinted Union Jack on it’s side fenders, this First Edition is basically the new Conti customised in some amazing Bentley Motors flourishes, and as always, the romance is seen mainly on the inside of the Bentley sportscar.
It was nice to re-acquaint ourselves once more with the new Continental’s rotating Display, a real visual joy to witness when in the Bentley. It’s basically a rotating wood veneer panel that displays a set of analogue dials for a vintage touch on one side, and on the other, sits a 12.3-inch touchscreen to peruse the GT’s infotainment features. It’s a really cool feature that makes this third generation Continental stand out from the rest of its predecessors since the model series debuted in 2003.
This specially customised version of the continental GT is cloaked with those ever sensual looking diamond themed leather seats that just beg to be touched. Portland hide to be specific. Peering around a little more, we also noticed that some Mulliner options, which are usually not set as standard in the base Continental, have been fitted into this First Edition, such as its veneer panels which come in Liquid Amber over Grand Black. Another noticeable element are those suave looking Mulliner sports pedals which are tempting to the feet.
With all the little trinkets, it’s only natural that this First Edition comes with an equally special sound system which is a 10-speaker setup as standard. Still, we’d just tell you to opt for the special optional 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo or this pictured car’s ‘Naim for Bentley’ system, which has a crazy 18-speakers bobbing to a total output of 2,200 watts. Of course it’s that ridiculous, it’s a Bentley. Either way, if you’re thinking about getting this First Edition and not considering these options, it would be a case of close but no cigar without it.
As part of the elaborate specifications, the First Edition rides on 22-inch forged lightweight alloy wheels, all part of its Mulliner Driving Specifications. This package also means that even the mundane things like oil and fuel filler caps are given a jewelled-like finishing.
There are two suites of in-car driving assistance packages for the First Edition, the City Specification and the Touring Specification, both of which have some add-ons compared to the standard Bentley Continental GT but we assure you, a car of this make and price point will have all that you need. We’d advise you to visit Bentley Kuala Lumpur to get the thorough details specific to this car, because the list is longer than this post.
Where it least matters, at least in this First Edition’s case, is the powertrain. The same 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine remains underneath all the classiness. But very quickly, it dishes out 626 hp and a titanic 900 Nm of torque between 1,350 rpm to 4,500 rpm. All that power is manned by a new 8-speed dual-clutch tranny that churns power to all four wheels through an active AWD system. 0-100 km/h is dispatched in just 3.7 seconds but we havent driven it to tell you the gospel about it just yet.
As a whole, this First Edition is the perfect version of the Bentley Continental for the discerning owner who might get lost in trying to personalise his/her new Continental. If you’ve ever tried to spec a Bentley according to your taste, one can be rottenly spoiled for choice looking at that vast options list from Bentley (and their Mulliner division). So, this First Edition comes readily swathed with some exceptionally nice options. And if you have to ask, this particular Continental GT First Edition in Sequin Blue costs of RM 2,150,000.
