DESIGNING THE DEFINITIVE GRAND TOURER: THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE NEW CONTINENTAL GT

DESIGNING THE DEFINITIVE GRAND TOURER: THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE NEW CONTINENTAL GT

  • The all-new Continental GT is a statement of true luxury and innovative British design

  • Bentley’s Director of Design, Stefan Sielaff, introduces the Continental GT’s journey through a rich landscape of style inspiration

  • Styling cues include aeronautical forms, cut crystal glass and precise geometry

(Crewe, 04 September 2017) Bentley Motors is today releasing a film illustrating the inspirations behind the design of the all-new Continental GT.

Bentley’s Director of Design, Stefan Sielaff, explains the traceable bloodline that has influenced the new Continental GT as he sketches in the Bentley Design studio. Sielaff then introduces the journey that he and his award-winning design team in Crewe, England, have taken to create Bentley’s latest model.

Sculptured Aircraft Fuselage Forms

The Spartan Executive aircraft has a truly timeless design, using flowing curvature framed by sharp, powerful lines.  

Bentley employed the same philosophy in the all-new Continental GT, using Superforming technology – a precision technique working with aluminium heated to 500°C – which allows designers to invoke more complex, sharply defined body lines and a deeper, sculpted haunch muscle. The Continental GT is the first production car ever to have an entire body side made from the Superforming process.

This sculptured approach ensures a style that is taught and athletic, yet still graceful.

Illumination Through Crystal Cut Glass

When a perfectly cut crystal glass is held up to the light, each facet is illuminated, highlighting a  three-dimensional depth.

This attention to detail inspired the design of the headlamps for the new Continental GT, which catch the light like diamonds. The lighting uses the latest LED matrix technology, but it is the design that truly sets them apart.

The result is similar to that of an illuminated gemstone – an effect which is magnified when the optional welcome sequence gradually illuminates the headlights as you approach the car. The taillights also feature the cut-crystal effect, highlighting the three-dimensional quality of the optics.

Precise Geometry and Inherent Beauty

There is an inherent beauty in perfect geometry, something which is echoed throughout the details of the new Continental GT.

The Côtes de Genève finish found on mechanical timepieces inspired the creation of a new interior finish for the Continental GT. This surface – a first in the automotive world – is machined onto 0.6 mm-thick aluminium and is created by machining from side to side to create a linear pattern. Each row is 5 mm wide and machined at a slight angle to give a three-dimensional finish, with each pass of the machine making a minute step of 0.5 mm.

From the iconic matrix radiator grille to the signature knurling pattern, geometry delivers tactile refinement throughout the exterior and interior.

Innovative Technology Creating Theatre

A staple of all modern Bentleys is the seamless integration of technology with the finest, authentic materials.

Driven by innovation and the desire to offer the latest technology within a beautiful, high quality interior environment, Bentley has created a revolutionary, three-sided rotating display. At first glance there appears to be no screen in the centre of the dashboard of the new Continental GT. Instead, the veneer flows uninterrupted across the dashboard, while a thin chrome bezel behind the steering wheel surrounds a digital instrument display.

When the engine start button is pressed, the veneer in the middle of the dashboard glides silently forward and rotates to reveal Bentley’s largest-ever touchscreen, a 12.3” high-definition-quality-quality digital MMI display. The third side on the Bentley Rotating Display reveals three elegant analogue dials displaying outside temperature, a compass and chronometer.

This perfect piece of theatre seamlessly enhances the customer experience within the cabin.

Unrivalled Expertise and Handcraftmanship

The authenticity of materials within the cabin of the new Continental GT creates an aesthetic and tactile experience.

Bentley has pushed the boundaries of what is possible with leather and wood – employing the renowned skills of the craftspeople at the headquarters in Crewe, England.

For example, a new ‘diamond in diamond’ quilt has been created. The effect is of a floating quilted surface in a sea of leather, which is extraordinarily soft to touch. The new interior pattern features both stitching and embroidery. Eighteen months were spent developing the embroidery, individually optimising and programming the exact alignment of each one of the 712 stitches that make up each diamond shape – an unrivalled attention to detail.

Almost 1,000 Bentley craftspeople will take around 100 hours to complete each and every Continental GT.

The Evolution of Bentley’s Famous Design DNA

The DNA that underpins the new Continental GT can be traced back through the past six decades, to where the name began – the R-Type Continental of 1952.

The spirit of the R-Type Continental was revived in 2003 when Bentley launched the first Continental GT. This was a car that defined a new segment – the luxury Grand Tourer. The three lines that expressed the R-Type – the power line, haunch and swooping roofline – also defined the Continental GT, creating a thoroughly modern shape that also references the past.

- ENDS -

Notes to editors

Bentley Motors is the most sought after luxury car brand in the world. The company’s headquarters in Crewe is home to all of its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production of the company’s four model lines – Continental, Flying Spur, Bentayga and Mulsanne. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury car brands such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best. Bentley employs around 4,000 people at Crewe.

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