2018 Bentley Continental GT: See The Changes Side-By-Side

Old vs. New. Which do you like better?

By: Chris Bruce

Aug 30, 2017 at 12:04pm ET

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In the vast world of grand touring coupes, the Bentley Continental GT fills the niche for wealthy drivers with an eye for luxury, in addition to impressive performance. The newly introduced third generation continues the model’s posh legacy with opulent details like an infotainment system that hides behind the wood veneer on the dashboard and the choice of 15 available colors for the leather upholstery. To get a better idea of how the latest GT evolves, let’s compare it to the last one.

Get The Full Scoop On The Continental GT

Front

The new Continental GT retains the big coupe's design DNA of combining a broad, mesh grille with a pair of lights on each side. However, the 2018 model now features sculpting around the lamps that integrates them better into the front end. It's an attractive, almost retro detail, that makes the nose look more aerodynamic.

Three-Quarters

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The 2018 Continental GT's front three-quarters perspective highlights the new creases that start at the headlights. It also features redesigned mirrors that taper to a point and magnify the coupe's more aerodynamic appearance.

The chrome strip along the side sills is thicker now and kicks upward near the front fenders. The change transforms the piece from an unassuming bit of trim into a major part of the profile styling.

Profile

The side of the new Continental GT is where the changes for the new generation are least obvious. The nose is a little rounder, but you need to look at the rear of the roofline to see the biggest tweaks. Rather than flattening out as it reaches the tail, the top now flows backward in a constant arc. The small adjustment creates a more slippery looking shape for the big coupe.

Rear

Bentley overhauls the styling for the Continental GT's tail. Oval-shaped taillights replace the previously rounded rectangular units, and the tailpipes carry the same design. The new roofline also shifts the top of the trunk lid lower onto the back end. In addition, the chrome strip along the side now wraps around the rear rather than stopping at the fenders.

Like the rest of the new design, these changes combine to create a coupe that looks more aerodynamic than the outgoing Continental GT.

Interior

The 2018 Continental GT's cabin features revolutionary updates versus the old model. There's now a digital instrument panel that can display things like navigation data directly in front of the driver. The really cool new feature is on the center stack where the 12.3-inch infotainment display rotates into the dashboard when not in use (see it in action, here). This trick might not be very useful, but it's impressive to watch.