This Is Your First Look At The 771bhp Fourth-Gen Bentley Continental GT

When the Bentley Continental GT debuted in 2002, it was a massive moment for the company. Its first car developed entirely under the stewardship of Volkswagen, it was the first Bentley in decades that didn’t have styling rooted in the company’s 1960s models, and also marked the introduction of the W12 engine that would be the company’s bedrock for the next two decades.

Now, though, the W12 is on its way out, to be succeeded by a V8 plug-in hybrid setup, which will debut in a new fourth-gen Continental GT. It’s hiding beneath this wavy camouflage but, even with that, it’s still very clearly a Continental: a sloping roofline, distinctive swollen haunches and big, rounded headlights (although for the first time, it’ll ditch the four-headlight signature that the Conti has featured since launch).

Bentley has also confirmed some details of the V8 hybrid powertrain that will sit in top versions of the Continental GT, along with its other upcoming models. It’ll produce a peak of 771bhp and 738lb ft, up from 649bhp and 664lb ft in the current W12-powered Continental GT Speed. Certainly won’t be slow then. The battery will allow for a quoted 50 miles of electric-only running – in other words, almost enough to get it down the average Continental owner’s driveway.

While the specifics of the engine haven’t been confirmed, it’s effectively a foregone conclusion that it’ll be the latest version of Volkswagen’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, which you’ll also find in PHEV setups in the Lamborghini Urus SE and new Porsche Cayenne and Panamera.

Confirmed chassis tech includes an electronic limited slip differential, a 48v-powered active anti-roll system, and newly-developed two-valve active dampers.

The new Continental is set to be unveiled next month, and by the time it goes into production, an example built some time in early 2025 is forecast to be the 100,000th Continental GT to be built since 2003. A drop-top Continental GTC will almost certainly follow along with a four-door Flying Spur.