When we do this feature next year, I’ll almost certainly end up picking an electric car like the Ford Mustang Mach-E or Porsche Taycan. But for this year, I’m going with a big V8-powered luxury coupe. You see, as a mental exercise, I often consider what my perfect two-car garage would be. The winter vehicle remains a Range Rover Sport Autobiography, but my summer car has changed. In the spot formerly occupied in my mind by a Porsche 911 Carrera S sits a Bentley Continental GT V8.
I’ve built this car many times on Bentley’s consumer page (you can view it using the code “EUYH64AK” at the Bentley configurator). The color is called Verdant, and it’s a deep, rich, dark metallic green. The wheels are black, and there’s no chrome on the exterior, because I need to be just a bit douchey. But as cool as this car looks on the exterior, it’s nothing compared to the cabin.
My car’s two-tone interior features Cumbrian Green and Linen leather, with two-tone veneers (crown-cut walnut on top and piano black on the bottom) and a Côtes de Genève metal center console. There’s diamond knurling throughout, and of course, I grabbed the rotating center display, which might be the coolest optional extra on sale today. There’s contrast stitching and piping. The overall level of quality is so high only a select few vehicles can match it.
And under hood sits a V8 engine. That’s right, to hell with the W12 – the Conti’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 is better. It sounds better, its lighter weight allows the car to handle better, and it’s every bit as charming and enjoyable to push around as its twelve-cylinder sibling. The latest Conti GT is damn near perfect, and for that reason, it’s my dream Christmas gift.
– Brandon Turkus, Managing Editor
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