New luxury coupé will switch to a platform shared with next generation of Porsche Panamera
This is the next Bentley Continental GT, spied in testing ahead of a public debut towards the end of 2016 and its arrival in showrooms early the following year.
The new Conti GT marks a big step for Bentley, as it takes the car off its relatively elderly platform and onto an all-new architecture. Called MSB, the new set of chassis components has been developed under the guidance of Porsche and will be used, in a lengthened form, on thenext Panamera. That explains the curious test mule in our images: it's clearly a shortened version of an existing Panamera bodyshell, albeit with altered ride height and a front-end treatment designed to test the Bentley's cooling configuration.
Many of the MSB’s key advances have already brought improvements to the 991-series 911. It makes extensive use of a wide range of materials, including magnesium, differing levels of high-tensile steel and aluminium skin panels. The overall effect is a saving - but the next Panamera is expected to pile in extra luxury and soundproofing, ending up with roughly the same overall weight, and the Bentley Continental GT is likely to do the same.
MSB development has also included new V6 and V8 turbocharged petrol engines, so the Continental is likely to get a major shake-up in its engine line-up. It’s understood that the British brand will resist the idea of a V6 in its Conti but that a new turbocharged V8 will replace the existing unit.
Porsche is also said to have ‘package protected’ MSB to allow it to use Bentley’s W12 engine, ensuring that range-topping Continental GTs will continue to use further developments of that motor. The switch to MSB also opens up the possibility of a Continental GT hybrid, since that type of powertrain will be offered on the Panamera.
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