British Bentley Continental GT V8

British built Bentley Continental GT V8 the quintessential cruiser of the Millennium

Bentley Continental GT V8 starts at £140,000 but you get a lot for your money

Bentley Continental GT V8

Engine: Petrol 4.0l twin turbocharged V8

Power: 500bhp, 660 Nm

0-60mph: 4.6s

Top speed: 190mph

Price: £140,300

MPG: Combined 26.8mpg

Co2: Co2 246 g/km

Bentley Motors brand themselves as ‘the most sought after luxury car brand in the world’.

The British designed and built Bentley Continental GT V8 the quintessential gentleman’s racer of the Millennium.

Forget sniggers of being a footballers favoured mode of transport, the mighty Conti has broad enough shoulders to shrug off such barbs.

Since it roared into the nation’s consciousness in 2003 the exterior design has changed little. It would take a purist to spot the nips and tucks to the muscular body and changes to air vents.

It certainly has the presence befitting a £140,000 motor. paint it whatever hue you wish.

Inside is swathed with acres of Beluga leather over the seats, dash and headlining, setting off the Piano Black veneer. Huge 21 inch twin-spoke graphite and diamond turned alloy wheels give it an imposing stance. Despite it being almost 5m long it is only 1.4m high.

But the beauty of the Bentley is more than skin deep as it's the bellowing 500bhp 4.0l V8 that shares the star billing. Although it is 4 cylinders and 50bhp down on the the bigger engine available, it is a thing of beauty. 

Despite the clever tech which deactivates some of the cylinders under light load, you are looking at a claimed combined 26.8mpg. But this will drop in to the mid-teens if you pilot it like it was designed it to be driven.

Any preconceptions of conserving fuel go out the double-glazed windows as you lower them to hear the wharp-wharp of the baritone Bentley.

You need the restraint of a Tibetan monk not to bury the throttle in the deep pile carpet at every opportunity.

Not that chances come along that often, as doing so will see you power towards licence losing speeds in about the same time it takes you to read this sentence.

Despite weighing in at over 2.2 tonnes the Conti will crack 0-60 4.6s and if conditions allowed 100mph in 11.1s and on to 190mph.

Under full acceleration the sensation is similar to a jumbo jet in that final thrust on the runway before it gets airborne.

The car has permanent four-wheel drive but can split where the power is delivered, depending on where it is needed most. The default setting is 60:40 in favour of the rear but it can put up to 85 per cent at the back if needed.

On the move the shifting power-train is imperceptible as the immaculate air suspension delivers a class-leading ride that feels at times as if you are not moving at all.

This is definitely a car to drive rather than be driven in - and not just as the rear seats are only suitable for small children on longer journeys.

Fast A-road and dual-carriageways are its natural home as it delivers crushing performance with the space to stretch its legs.

Motorists spotting you in the rear-veiw mirror appear to pull over out of reverential respect. It is also the first car that can go a whole week without once being subjected to a security check coming into Mirror HQ.

Power is delivered via the 8-speed auto which works seamlessly as expected. I expect 95 per cent of the time drivers will leave it to self-shuffle. But if you do want to have a play and really hang on to the gears or drop it down a cog to hear it sing, then there are +/- paddles behind the steering wheel.

The only thing is the downshift one on the left is where the indicator should be.

If there is a better way to ease into a Monday morning commute that by turning on the heated massage front seats, then I have yet to find it.

Leafing through the bound hardbacked car manual will uncover delights including a onboard 4G wifi hotspot (£845), Adaptive Cruise Control (£2,125) and Digital TV tuner (£920).

The 8 inch central touchscreen is standard with the 440W 8 speaker system that will put many a home hifi to shame.

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