BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT 2005 Lot n° 30

2-door, 4-seat coupe bodywork Engine 12 cylinders in W Displacement 5,998 cm3 Power 560 hp Maximum speed 318 km/h Mileage 137,000 km Serial number SCBCE63W25C028201 This luxury grand tourer, available as a coupé and a cabriolet, was the embodiment of the Bentley revival initiated by Ferdinand Piëch, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, the iconic VW boss and creator of the Porsche 917 and Audi Quattro. In 1998, while BMW was acquiring Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen had bought the twin brand Bentley, which had escaped the attention of the Munich investors. Ferdinand Piëch began by restoring the brand's sporting reputation by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP1 category in 2001, with the Bentley Speed 8, from its first entry (!), reviving the epic of the glorious Bentley boys, winners in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. The sequel was a bit long in coming, but in 2003 Bentley unveiled this imposing and luxurious coupe which takes the name of the Continental coupe of the 1950s. There are a few nods to this in the styling, such as the rear wing shoulders and the fastback bodywork. There's also the typical wire mesh grille. The body is made of steel and the doors are made of aluminum to save a few kilograms, because with its W12 engine and all-wheel drive (combined with a 6-speed automatic transmission), and its plethora of luxurious equipment, the GT weighs more than 2,350 kg unladen! Fortunately, it has an exclusive W12 twin-turbo engine with 6 litres of displacement and 560 hp, derived from that of the VW Phateon, which allows it to exceed 300 km/h! The torque reaches an incredible 650 Nm from 1,600 rpm! The W12's block is 51.3 cm long, 71.5 cm high and 71 cm wide, making it the most compact 12-cylinder engine in the world, with its W-shaped configuration combining two narrow-angle VR cylinder heads (from the VR6 Golf) connected to a common crankcase. To stop its two tons of weight at over 200 km/h, the GT also gets the largest brakes ever fitted to a production car, 400 mm ventilated discs at the front, combined with 335 mm discs at the rear. The GTC, the convertible version, assembled in Germany by Karmann, will be released in 2006. At 2,495 kg, it is not very sporty. A more dynamic version, the "Speed", which develops 50 more hp (610 hp) and 750 Nm, came out in August 2007, during a slight restyling of the GT. Finally, the confidential "Supersports", the sportiest, will appear in 2010. Unfortunately, the career of the Continental GT ends in 2011. This beautiful left-hand drive Continental GT is a limited edition from Mulliner, Bentley's customization department. This special livery features seven-spoke, two-piece cast alloy wheels fitted with 275/35ZR20 tyres specially manufactured by Yokohama. In true Mulliner tradition, the interior is in perfect condition with its beautiful 'Diamond' seats with the winged 'B', perforated alloy pedals and footrest, and a special leather-wrapped chrome gear lever. The engine is in perfect working order and has always been well maintained. The original Bentley load holding kit is present in the boot of the car. Not yet entered the world of the collection, these Bentleys remain affordable and allow access to luxury Grand Touring for the price of an ordinary MPV.