By 2017, the current Bentley Continental GT will be seven years old, so a replacement is likely to arrive by then. Our spies have caught the third-generation model undergoing winter testing, and it appears the new one will be heavily inspired by the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept shown at Geneva last year.
The prototype seen here appears to be longer and lower, with more elongated proportions compared with the outgoing model; the longer bonnet gives it a more rear-biased look. At the front, there’s a lower nose – very much like the show car – incorporating a larger grille, while the lower air intakes are arranged in a similar fashion to the current car’s facelift.
Bentley’s signature twin round headlights have been retained, but although they are still heavily disguised, one can see star-shaped LED daytime running lights that radiate from the main projectors – another cue derived from the EXP 10 Speed 6.
Along the flanks, there are new wing mirrors, while the rear haunches have been made more pronounced. Moving towards the rear, the tail lights lose their quad oval graphics, moving to just a single oval on each side, mirroring the concept.
Other visible details include dual oval exhaust exits, while the retractable rear spoiler appears to have been moved from its current location at the base of the rear windscreen; our spies say that they saw a roof-mounted item on the mule.
The next-generation Continental GT will be built on the Volkswagen Group’s new Modular Standard Platform (MSB) shared with the next Porsche Panamera. As with the Porsche, this will likely bring about significant weight savings, especially compared to the rather portly current car.
Engine options should remain the same as before – a 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 and a 6.0 litre twin-turbo W12, the latter expected to be the all-new unit seen in Bentayga SUV, pushing out 600 hp and 900 Nm in base form. There should also be more powerful Speed model to follow, while a plug-in hybrid model could surface down the line, using technology from the Panamera.
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