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Bentley has been building cars for more than 100 years, but the famous British brand was re-born 20 years ago when it launched the Continental GT.
The sporty coupe and convertible reinvigorated the brand, returning it to its former glory days when it made cars that were dynamic and not just big and luxurious.
Now onto its third generation, the Continental GT has not only helped Bentley re-establish itself but also become a modern motoring icon.
Which is what the company wanted, an iconic model, like the Porsche 911 that could be a flagbearer for the brand.
Like the 911, this latest iteration is available in multiple forms, and we’re testing the Continental GT S Convertible, a two-door, four-seat grand tourer - with an emphasis on the ‘grand’.
There’s no point waxing too lyrical here, because the facts surrounding the M3 Touring are more than exciting enough.
It’s a (kind of) family friendly wagon with oodles of space and practicality. It’s also an unhinged performance weapon with a thumping 3.0-litre twin-turbo-petrol inline six-cylinder engine.
And it has been years — decades, even — in the making. So, has it been worth the wait? Let’s strap in and find out.
It may not come cheap, isn’t ideal for family buyers and will have you visiting the petrol bowser regularly, but it’s still hard not to love the Continental GT.
It’s an over-the-top car in so many ways, from the dramatic styling to the plush and pampering interior to the effortlessly powerful engine, this is a car that is a pleasure to drive 10km or 10,000km.
It’s certainly not cheap, especially if you start diving into the options list, or the even more costly Mulliner program, but price is relative, of course, and for Bentley buyers purchasing one of these cars isn’t about getting a ‘bargain’ but instead it’s about experiencing the finer things in life.
Long live the mighty wagon. The BMW M3 Touring is treat to look at, and an even bigger treat to drive.
If you want one, act fast. We waited a long time for a wagon-shaped M3, and with electrification increasing in the automotive industry, this will likely be your last chance.
The most interesting aspect of the third-generation Continental GT design is how similar it looks to the first-generation model launched 20 years ago.
Put the pair side-by-side and you’ll notice the latest model is more refined and features crisper lines and more intricate details, but the overall shape and design themes, such as the grille, headlights, etc, bare a similar family resemblance.
This is a deliberate act from Bentley, choosing an evolutionary styling approach for the Continental GT in the same way Porsche has approached the 911.
As for the specific details of this particular Continental GT S model, there are some key differences between it and the standard GT and GT Azure models that sit beneath it in the range.
The most notable - even if it is slightly harder to spot on our black test car - is a ‘black pack’ that swaps all the chrome finishes on the exterior to black.
This includes the grille, headlight surrounds, lower bumper grille, window surrounds, door mirror caps and the exhaust tips. The S also adds black sports sills and black-painted alloy wheels.
It looks spectacular, this M3 Touring, and even more so given a) wagons are so rare, and b) proper low-riding performance wagons with massive alloys are even rarer.
That said, I expect it will be polarising – and possibly too shouty for some – but I've got to say, I like it.
I’ve seen it described elsewhere as a bit of a sleeper, but for mine, you’d need painted-on eyes to not see there’s plenty going on with the Touring, especially one finished in the same Frozen Black paint as our test car.
It is at once sleek and swept back, and bulging and aggressive, especially at the flared wheel arches and fat exhausts poking from its diffuser-filled rump.
Inside, it’s mostly business as BMW usual, though with more carbon-fibre elements — our vehicle was equipped with the M Carbon Experience pack — but snug-fitting seats aside, it’s a premium, if performance-focused, place to spend time.
As mentioned earlier, the Continental GT is a two-door, four-seat grand tourer, but while it’s certainly grand, calling it a four seater may be a stretch.
There are two small seats in the rear that can be used if absolutely necessary but anyone in the back won’t feel like they’re in a luxury car because they’ll be cramped for space - even with the roof down.
You could pop small kids in the back in a pinch (and there is a pair of ISOFIX anchor points) but the Continental GT is hardly a family car.
In fact, the Flying Spur is a four-door sedan built on the same underpinnings as the Continental GT, so Bentley does have family buyers covered.
So, let’s keep our attention on the front seats, which is where you want to be in this grand tourer. The seats are comfortable and offer fantastic support, thanks in large part to 12-way electronic adjustment.
To help you enjoy your convertible with the top down regardless of weather, the seats are heated and available with a vent to blow warm or cool air onto your neck.
The seats are just the start, the whole cabin is a blend of modern technology and classic luxury elements.
There’s the media touchscreen, but there’s also a physical button for most functions, so it’s a busy layout but one that will likely appeal to Bentley’s older clientele.
Our test car was fitted with not only the optional sound system but a rotating display, so you can hide the screen away when you’re not using it.
Overall the build quality and attention-to-detail is exceptional, as you’d expect for a car at this price. And it’s really one of the main reasons you buy a Bentley, because it has a level of luxury and quality above brands like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.
A performance-focused wagon is still a wagon, right? And that means there is oodles of space in the boot, though the seating choices in our test cars made the front seats less comfortable than they could, and should, be.
But first, the boot. The M3 Touring is a 4.8m-long wagon, which pays dividends when it comes to cargo. BMW says you'll find a minimum 500L of storage space, which grows to 1510L with the rear seat folded.
In the back, you’ll find seating for three, with the requisite ISOFIX attachment points, and with enough head and leg room to get comfortable.
But those carbon front seats are an option I wouldn’t be springing for. They arrive carved out of the rock-hard material, though with big holes throughout to reduce their overall weight, and they’re not only challenging to climb in and out of, but they’re awkward and hard to sit behind.
Stick with the regular seats and both rows will be happier.
Naturally the Continental GT doesn’t come cheap, with the range beginning at $430,300 (all priced exclude on-road costs) for the ‘entry-level’ coupe model.
The Continental GT S Convertible we’re testing here is priced from $568,400.
But with cars like the Bentley, the list price is really only the starting point as the company offers a huge array of ways for owners to personalise their cars and this can make a dramatic difference to the cost.
For example, our test car featured several additional extras including its interior leather colour combination, upgraded 1500W 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, larger 22-inch alloy wheels and more, which pushed the price to $667,806.
In terms of personalisation, the sky's the limit. Or perhaps to be more precise, your bank account is the limit. That’s because Bentley’s Muliner department can create unique colours, leathers, trims, you name it, whatever your heart desires is yours - as long as you can afford it.
Even if you don’t want to go down that path there’s still plenty of choice, with the Continental GT available in 16 standard body colours plus an extended range of off-the-shelf hues.
There are three standard roof colours with four optional colours, as well as five interior leather choices and 11 different veneer 'species' to select from.
Focusing on the equipment that comes standard with the Continental GT S, this includes 21-inch alloy wheels, air-suspension, full LED matrix headlights, a 650W 10-speaker sound system and a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen which incorporates navigation, Bluetooth and WiFi streaming, digital radio, Apple CarPlay and even a CD slot (which is a rare find these days).
The BMW M3 Touring lists at $180,100, which isn’t chump change, and positions the wagon body shape a fair way above a regular M3 sedan.
That’s before on-road costs, of course. According to BMW’s website, putting an M3 Touring on the road in NSW will be more like $194,039 — before you start ticking option boxes.
The 'M Carbon Experience' adds $17,500, and reduces overall weight by close to 10kg through carbon bucket seats, and adds more visible carbon and even more possible headroom to fit a helmet
The 'M Carbon ceramic brakes' add another $16,500, and while there are plenty of free paint colours, you can pay up to $7000 for the 'Frozen White' paintwork.
Our test car was finished in 'Frozen Black', a bargain at $5K.
Elsewhere, there is plenty of equipment on a stacked standard features list.
That includes staggered 19- and 20-inch alloys, BMW’s digital 'Laserlight' headlights, and an automatic boot.
Inside, there’s a 'BMW Live Cockpit' with a 12.3-inch instrument display, a 14.9-inch central screen, a head-up display, wireless device charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a premium Harman Kardon surround sound stereo.
You also get three-zone climate, leather seats, an 'Active M Differential' and 'Adaptive M Suspension', and seat heating up front.
Oh, and there is lots — lots — of performance, but we’ll come back to that shortly.
Bentley is renowned for its big, powerful engines, specifically its unique W12. That’s available in the top-of-the-range Continental GT, but the S model we’re driving is motivated by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.
It may not be what Bentley is famous for, but it’s a fantastic engine in its own right and it’s paired to a well-matched eight-speed automatic transmission and an active all-wheel drive system.
Making a very healthy 404kW and 770Nm it has no trouble getting such a big car moving.
Bentley claims the Continental GT S will run 0-100km/h in just 4.1 seconds, which is very rapid and particularly impressive when you realise this car weighs 2335kg.
The M3 Touring’s engine might well be one of the best in the business – a hard-charging 3.0-litre twin-turbo-petrol inline six-cylinder engine that produces a sizeable 375kW and 650Nm.
That power is sent to all four wheels via BMW’s 'M xDrive' with Active M Differential, producing a sprint to 100km/h of just 3.6 seconds.
If you’re looking for a fuel efficient car or are worried about the price of premium unleaded at your local service station, the Continental GT is not for you.
In an entirely unsurprising way, this two-tonne, twin-turbo V8 luxury car is not a fuel-sipping proposition.
Even the official combined urban/highway cycle is 12.5 litres per 100km, which is thirsty.
But if you’re spending most of your time around town, rather than driving to your country weekender, you’ll probably be looking at returns in the mid to high teens, based on our experience.
We saw an average of 16.7L/100km on the car’s long-term trip computer that included more than 1400km of driving.
Fortunately it has a 90-litre tank, which translates to a theoretical driving range of 720km - as long as you can hit the official claim.
Officially, you should see a claimed 10.4L/100km on the combined cycle, but as is often the case in cars with engines that tempt you to be aggressive with the accelerator, the reality can be a little different.
We saw more like 16.4L/100km, but in the big bruiser’s defence, we spent a lot of time in city and suburbs, and a lot more time standing on the accelerator.
The M3 Touring is fitted with a 59-litre tank, and will only accept 98RON premium fuel.
Range is close to 570km using the official consumption figure and around 360km using our real-world number.
There’s a duality to the driving experience of the Continental GT, as it manages to blend its obvious luxury focus with a genuinely dynamic edge that makes it a true grand tourer.
The combination of the powerful engine and air suspension means it possesses a laid back personality and effortless nature around town.
The engine delivers its performance with ease, moving this big car rapidly whenever you put your foot down, so you can jump into gaps in traffic or make a brisk getaway from the lights.
It soaks up all the bumps and imperfections on the road with minimal fuss, too, despite our test car riding on 22-inch wheels, so you feel cosseted inside the plush cabin.
However, if you find yourself on the open road, the Continental GT S is equally at home.
Dial up the ‘Sport’ drive mode and the engine feels more responsive, the steering is more direct and the suspension is more taut but still compliant.
It makes this a really fun car to drive on a fast, sweeping rural road, where you can let the engine stretch its legs.
Because of its size it’s not as enjoyable on a twisty road with lots of changes of direction, though.
But for enjoying an opulent daily commute or a weekend drive in the countryside the Continental GT S is a great companion.
In a word? Delightful.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the easiest car in the world to daily drive. The carbon-fibre seats fitted to ours, for example, made getting in and out a slightly embarrassing challenge, and there’s a surging eagerness to the delivery of power that makes you look a little like you're showing off.
But the adaptive suspension serves up a far more comfortable ride than you might be expecting (more comfortable, in fact, than lesser, cheaper M models), making tootling around town easier and less chiropractic than I was expecting.
But it’s away from the city, with its traffic and red lights, that owning the M3 Touring becomes a delight, from its potent and punchy powertrain to the thrum of its exhaust, and the EV-like immediacy of its power delivery.
This is a driver’s wagon, there’s no doubt about it, with proper seatback-pushing acceleration, direct and confident steering and enough body stiffening and bracing that you really would have no idea you’re driving a wagon when cornering.
Engage its sportiest settings, and disengage its electronic nanny systems, and you can even set to work judging your drifting skills, courtesy of the (as yet untested, honestly) 'M Drift Analyser'.
A family car like few others, then. That you can also take it to Bunnings and throw some sleepers in the back is just a very welcome bonus.
Despite costing more than $500,000 there are still several optional safety features for the Continental GT, which is surprising and disappointing.
There is a decent level of standard equipment, including four airbags - driver and front seat passenger, as well as side - and a reversing camera, as well as active safety items including pre-collision warning, collision prevention assist, rear cross-traffic alert and multi-collision brake.
However, equipment that is standard on much cheaper cars that’s optional on the Continental include active lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with 'Traffic Jam Assist', traffic sign recognition, pedestrian warning, reversing traffic warning and top view cameras.
These are available in optional packages, but it’s not unreasonable to expect every safety feature Bentley offers as standard given the asking price.
As for an ANCAP safety rating, the Continental GT doesn’t have one - again, largely because of its price.
As ANCAP testing requires multiple vehicles to be destroyed it’s not financially viable to test all models in this premium market, so cars from the likes of Bentley, Porsche, Rolls-Royce and others rarely have an independent safety rating.
Neither the M3 or M3 Touring have been independently crash tested to date, but it’s worth pointing out the 3 Series and 4 Series received maximum five-star scores from Euro NCAP.
Standard safety kit includes AEB with pedestrian detection, active lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert.
You’ll also find six airbags on board.
Another surprising feature of the Bentley range is the company’s three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which feels surprisingly short in this day and age - especially for a brand that takes pride in its carefully built cars.
There is a 10-year warranty available as an optional extra, but it feels like that should be standard if the company is willing to stand by its products anyway and owners are paying such a premium for their cars upfront.
The good news is all Bentley models are covered by a five-year servicing plan (intervals are 12 months/16,000km) which is included in the cost of the car.
As you should expect from such a premium brand, the local dealer will arrange to collect and return the car when servicing is required, and a loan car can be arranged if required.
The BMW M3 Touring is covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, and servicing is "condition based", in that the vehicle will tell you what maintenance is required, and when.
You can prepay your service costs at the time of purchase for all BMW vehicles, covering the first five years of ownership.