Bentley's Continental GT range of luxury two-door cruisers grew by one on Monday. The 2022 Bentley Continental GT S (and convertible GTC S) will slot in above the V8 model but below its three twelve-cylinder models. The GT S and GTC S will sound and drive sportier than their V8 counterparts and get unique styling to set them apart.
The coupe and convertible Continental GT S will stick with the same engine as the standard Continental GT, meaning a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 making 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. That's good for a zero to 62 miles per hour time of just 4 seconds, only a few tenths slower than the twelve-cylinder version (3.7 seconds).
All Continental GTs are all-wheel drive and all have an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that can be shifted manually with a paddler on the steering wheel.
New for the Continental GT S and GTC S is a standard Sports Exhaust system to "amplify the crossplane V8 beat". They also come standard with the Bentley Dynamic Ride system that uses the 48-volt electric architecture with active anti-roll bars to stop the body from leaning in a turn. Bentley says the system can generate up to 959 pound-feet of torque in 0.3 seconds to stiffen up either side, or they can decouple for more comfort.
Bigger changes come in the design where the GT S and GTC S add a black gloss radiator grille with special S badging. The head and taillights are tinted and the rest of the chrome is styled in black, except for the winged Bentley badge, which stands out in chrome. The rest of the badges are also in black.
The S range gets a new 22-inch wheel option featuring five Y-shaped spokes in gloss black. Buyers can also specify a new satin finish, while giant red brake calipers are installed behind them. There's also a 21-inch tri-spoke wheel that combines black and chrome finishes.
In the cabin the Continental GT S features a two-tone split color with suede-like Dinamica material on the seats, steering wheel and gear lever. Leather is installed on the doors, seat bolsters and around the console. The S design seats can be fluted or quilted but both feature the Bentley S emblem on the headrest.
The company says that these extroverted S models are an alternative to the Azure range of calming sedans and SUVs it introduced a few weeks ago.
The 2022 Bentley Continental GT starts at $205,225, but the GT S brings that up to $266,000. The convertible GTC V8 starts at $222,085 and the GTC S comes in at $292,500. It doesn't have much to compete with, but the Aston Martin DB11, also offering either a V8 or twelve-cylinder, starts at $217,000.
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