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Bentley Continental GTV8S | Frankfurt Motor Show 2013

Two new models for Bentley's wild child range scream sports with a capital S.

Bentley Continental GTV8S, Bentley, Frankfurt Motor Show 2013, Wheels, Wheels magazine
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Two new models for Bentley's wild child range scream sports with a capital S.

It's official. S equals 16kW and 20Nm. It also equals lowered sports suspension and sharper steering. And it equals a more overt sports bodykit to really set the Bentley Continental GTV8S apart from the boring, mundane, yawn-inducing Contintental GTV8.

Okay, the Continental GT is far from yawn-inducing, even ten years after it first debuted. And the standard GT's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 373kW and 660Nm doesn't exactly make it the whimpy kid in its class. But if more power is on offer, what sane person could refuse?

Information on exactly what Bentley has done to increase power to 389kW and torque to 680Nm (on tap from 1700rpm) is scarce at this stage. What it has done is lower the time it takes to hit 100km/h: now just 4.3 seconds in the coupe and 4.5 seconds in the convertible.

As we said earlier, the S stands for more than just extra grunt. All the changes are aimed at making the GTV8S a sharper, more involving drive than the standard GTV8. Right down to the louder, prouder exhaust note.

The suspension has been significantly reworked to up the dynamic envelope, and the steering system recalibrated to sharpen response. Engineers even retuned the electronic stability control to allow more wheel slip before lending a hand. This then, must be a Bentley that likes a good drift... An all-wheel drive drift, no less. How positively uncivilised. Can't wait.

Flick through the gallery to check out the Bentley Continental GTV8S in coupe and convertible variants.

Glenn Butler

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