The new Bentley Continental GT is coming, and here are its details and features

It has been spotted heavily camouflaged and with every possible precaution to prevent us from seeing the final details, but Autoexpress has offered us a look at what we can expect from this new version of the imposing model that the British luxury brand will offer in 2018.

The first thing that has been replaced compared to the current model is the chassis, which has been built with lighter materials, with the aim of reducing the total weight of the car. The use of materials such as aluminium in the bodywork also helps. The platform on which this model sits is the same one used to shape the Porsche Panamera. A total saving of 100 kg has been achieved, although the total weight of the car remains above two tonnes.

Another feature of this platform is that it has 200 mm less between the two axles. But the biggest surprises are expected in the engine. This new Bentley Continental GT will have the same engine as the Bentley Bentayga. This twin-turbo W12 engine, which delivers 650 CV and 900 Nm. With this engine it is possible to achieve an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds, reaching a top speed of 337 km/h, approximately.

In addition to this engine, Bentley has revealed that a plug-in hybrid model will be launched, using the same hybrid powertrain as the Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid: a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine and an electric motor that together deliver a combined output equivalent to 445 CV. The new model may also be fitted with a diesel engine, likewise inherited from the Bentayga, which would be the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, although first they will have to modify it due to a complaint about this powerplant, caused by minor faults that have been recorded in the pumps.

This new Bentley Continental GT has had to be reimagined in the face of competition from the new Aston Martin DB11, the McLaren 570S and the Mercedes-AMG S 63 Coupe, so it has to offer features that allow it to hold its own.