The letter S must stand for “superpowers” behind the doors of Bentley’s Crewe factory. If it doesn’t, it should. Those magical English artisans have found a way to make more than two tons zip around a corner without them ending up in a ditch.
At 5,060 pounds, the Continental GT V8 S is a real automotive heavyweight. Its 521-horsepower twin-turbo V8 is capable of hurtling such mass, in coupe or convertible form, from zero to 60 miles per hour in as little as 4.3 seconds. That much force and speed can add up to real problems on the road if the underlying suspension is any less impressive.
Luckily, Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn states, “Stiffer bushings and remapped settings for the electronically controlled air springs and dampers make handling tauter and faster to respond to driver inputs.” The V8 S is able to hold on to the tight corners of Southern California’s highways and back roads.
While the scribe prefers the big daddy of the Continental GT range, the Speed, he does say he and his colleagues would be satisfied with any of these new Bentleys.
Prices start at $196,500 (coupe). Both V8 S models go on sale this June.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
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