From travel to sublimation, try the Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible

[Autohome?Original test drive]?The story begins in a hotel. This hotel takes sustainable development and environmental protection as its core concepts. When you stay there, you will find that the so-called environmental protection has nothing to do with your current situation. The lifestyle is somewhat "going in the opposite direction", and when negative energy accumulates, it is inevitable that there will be some complaints. But in order to face this short journey positively, I decisively put them behind me, picked up the key in my hand, and raised the corners of my mouth again. The next simple trip, this Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible, bothered me. . I found that different ultra-luxury brands have their own unique interpretations of the word GT. Although the most basic elements such as two-door, four-seat, hardtop or convertible are similar, the differences are only reflected in the performance of the product itself. It will gradually differentiate. Bentley's understanding of GT is to meet all your basic needs for a trip, and it must be elegant and calm. This simple trip started from Haitang Bay, Sanya, with a round trip of about 200 kilometers. The journey is not too far, but it covers various road conditions such as cities and highways. In addition to the Continental GT V8 convertible version, the protagonist of our test drive this time, the new model The Bentayga V8 and the new Mercedes-Benz W12 are both accompanying models. From the moment it is ignited, it seems that this GT sports car is about to show its own personality. Although the Bentayga V8 next to it has a very similar deep sound, as a GT sports car, this Continental GT? V8 convertible version seems to have a distinct personality at this time. It is more high-profile, and the low roar creates a roar in the car to stimulate your adrenaline. It uses this more straightforward sensory stimulation to kick off your trip. As a super luxury brand GT sports car, Bentley gives us a long throttle stroke and not very positive response. Of course, this feeling is mainly in COMFORT and Bentley modes. Its advantage lies in driving It is easier for drivers to grasp the comfort and riding experience of passengers in the car. After all, the 549-horsepower engine is not an easy beast to tame. Giving drivers the simplest entry-level driving experience is what Bentley must do. In order to meet the needs of diverse road trips, the four-wheel drive system has also become an indispensable part of the vehicle. However, it is slightly different from the previous generation model. The default power distribution of this generation of Continental GT's four-wheel drive system is no longer focused on the front axle, but on the front axle. The overall body is more inclined to the rear axle. On the one hand, it improves the steering experience of the vehicle. On the other hand, it also changes the slightly bulky feeling in the past. As the accelerator goes deeper, the real force of pushing the back is the same as being dragged away by the neck. The feeling is definitely different. I believe most people like to be a proactive person. When walking on the road and listening to the melodious music, you can easily fall into an intoxicating atmosphere and even become too involved in the ordinary journey. This feeling comes from your five senses. In terms of smell, you can smell the fragrance that is unique to their products in every Bentley model. This kind of fragrance is exclusive to ultra-luxury brand models in the leather and wood materials. , can give you the most comfortable olfactory experience. In terms of auditory experience, the slightly low sound of the V8 engine is like a seasoning, appropriately breaking the overly quiet atmosphere, and always telling you that you are still on the road. It can be said that unlike Bentayga, Flying Spur and other models, this Continental GT will not isolate all noise during driving, especially the noise from the chassis, and the wind noise of the convertible version will be greater than that of the hardtop version. But I love this feeling even more, because it makes me live a more realistic life on this trip. If I am traveling in a busy city or trying to liberate my tired body and mind on my way to work every day, then whether it is a Bentayga Either the Flying Spur is a more perfect choice, but don’t forget that we are on a journey now, and what I need more is to experience this journey in person. So for this Continental GT, I decisively chose to switch the driving mode to custom, engine and transmission - sport mode, steering force - sport mode, suspension - comfort mode. As the exhaust valve opens, the engine speed After a slight improvement, this is the way I want to travel in GT.

Different from Aston Martin's interpretation of GT sports cars, the Continental GT will never be too split in character. Although the engine and gearbox are in sports mode, the response speed of the accelerator pedal is only slightly more sensitive than in Bentley mode. , but the overall feel and control are still very heavy. As long as it is not at full throttle, the engine's shifting range remains between 2000-3000rpm, including the transmission's handling of each shifting action, which will never be deliberately created The impact of shifting gears makes it an elegant and calm GT sports car! The biggest difference is the exhaust sound of this V8 engine. You will obviously feel that its voice has increased to a decibel range that is particularly suitable for adjusting your mood. It is not noisy but very passionate. Including the very recognizable crackling sound of backfire, and the purr of the V8 that can be clearly heard in the car. The feeling is unforgettable. This will definitely satisfy those who love cars and are willing to enjoy life and travel. The best gift for people. The three-chamber air suspension is one of the product highlights of this generation of Continental GT, which is why I mentioned the driving mode earlier and still adjusted the suspension to comfort mode. It is true that on this car, the suspension does not filter the road feel thoroughly enough, but I think this is the element that GT sports cars should retain. Otherwise, how can the driving texture be distinguished from the likes of the Bentayga. But does that mean it’s uncomfortable? The answer is naturally no. The road feel is transmitted to the driver more through the steering and chassis. But don’t ignore the seat you are riding in. It will also filter part of the vibration. The final result of the collaboration is to satisfy the requirements of retaining part of the road. On the premise of ensuring comfort, the comfort experience is maximized. Of course, if you want a more straightforward road feel, just adjust the suspension to the sports mode, and there will be moderate feedback for minor bumps on the road. At this time, its duty is no longer to take you on a trip, but to satisfy you. The 48V electronic active roll suppression system will give you a very good driving experience. The 200-kilometer trip is still short, just like traveling. You are in high spirits when you start, and you have a deep aftertaste at the end. It is inevitable to regret that time flies by so fast. Then I quietly savored this Continental GT V8 convertible. It is indeed a pleasure to spend a day with such a product like a work of art. If you are willing to spend more time observing this car, you will find that today's Continental GT still adheres to the classic heritage. Although it has taken a step towards becoming younger, whether it is the shape of the front face or the classic shape of the middle and rear Line design, it really still maintains a very classic retro design, and even these retro elements can always make you sigh more and more, how wonderful the past design was, and the sense of difference of the times arises spontaneously. This feeling is really only appear in a few ultra-luxury brand products. As the trip came to an end, I chatted with my friends about the story before departure. It was inevitable that I would complain a little bit about whether environmental protection has become an obstacle to people enjoying life. I naturally got a negative answer. The reason why we chose this hotel for this trip coincides with Bentley's concept of sustainable development. They have implemented a more environmentally friendly concept in their British factories, whether it is using more green and environmentally friendly materials. , or a more forward-looking production method and technology, for the healthier development of future automobiles, and also to implant the concept of environmental protection into people's hearts, they made such a choice, so when I truly understood the meaning of this trip, My heart seems to have sublimated. The story once again ended in this hotel, which is still a hotel with sustainable development and environmental protection as its core concepts. At this time, I suddenly realized: maybe green, environmental protection, and sustainable development are really not easy. But for the health of the world, this is indeed a correct way to live. My initial dissatisfaction was just that my structure was too low. Some positive developments were accumulated bit by bit.

Turning around to look at the Bentley key in his hand, it turns out that the concept of sustainable development is also an imperative. The same is true for a super luxury brand car company. From the production process to the application of materials, every point This is how Didi’s green concepts have been accumulated. Perhaps this is beyond the responsibilities of a car manufacturing company, but leading concepts is what makes these ultra-luxury brands amazing, isn’t it? (Text/Photo/Photo by Autohome? Zhou Yuxuan? Some pictures come from the Bentley official photography team)