Hey Paul, saw this a couple of years ago and just wanted to say thanks for the inspration. I ended up going out and buying my own Gen 1 Continental Gt and even started the world's only dedicated channel on running and fixing my own Bentley. I've had to learn a ton of stuff like filming, editing and how to use You Tube along the way but it's been so much fun and I'm getting great support from so many other owners. Just watching this I can see how far your skills have come, and how far mine need to go before I can feel happy with what I churn out but like you, I hope to always keep it fun. Thanks very much 😀😀
Fantastic review, even the word from the experts. Thank you. It also struck me, what a fine day to have lived, a day driving a Bentley Continental GT on gorgeous country roads. You are a lucky man!
Has your Bentley given you any problems since you purchased it? And how many kms does it have? I’m thinking of getting a 2013 or 2014 Bentley cont gt cause I’m selling my e63s
An excellent review - I can't understand those who claim these are "not proper Bentleys" - how else in this day and age can you develop the marque? Start with a clean sheet of paper, a thorough knowledge of the Bentley heritage and enough money to develop a state of the art GT and this is what you get. I'm very sure that W.O. would approve.
They are vastly more modern than the RR era.The bottom of the front wheelarch/Sill area,gets stone chipped and goes rusty.Why Bentley never fitted a clear film down there I will never know.....But they are a fantastic car,but when pushing on you do feel the weight!Would have one in a heartbeat.😍And with the right interior its an incredible car to waft in,especially if it had specced sheepskin rug floor mats!
Always fancied a Continental. They are one of those cars that you see and never get bored of looking at. So many beautiful curves and slight details that you didn't notice before. I'd take one in a heartbeat, although, not sure the bank manager would finance the running of it. But, with sensible use and care it would be a great car to have. Hasn't that look aged well! Delicious.....just delicious!
Going from what real owners say it's incredibly unreliable and very expensive to keep running. But when it's working it's great. There is a very good reason why they are dirt cheap to buy.
That’s not my experience. I know many who own them and they live a different experience. Maintenance every 10k miles is pretty standard too. Mines been a dream. There are tons of gremlins though. And a lot of people buy used after someone hacked it up the blame the brand and not their ignorance. These cars new under 3y/30k are no issue at all.
Maintenance Manual. Every single one of them comes with it. Follow it, and nothing will ever fail prematurely, and it will live forever! The people that say that this car is unreliable, are those people that can afford the sticker but cant afford the maintenance it requires. You cant afford a Bentley if you cant afford to spend 3-4 Grand every 5-6 Months on it.
As the owner of an older Bentley I can safely say that pre-1990s cars will outlast the newer ones simply because of the lack of electronics. I've seen a few Continentals at various specialists and the electronics are a nightmare. Once saw one with the dashboard removed and a complete spaghetti birdsnest of wires coming out, never seen anything like it...probably a cubic metre of wires going everywhere!
Very nice cars but just to common now.far to many bin made delivering around manchester there nearly as common on the streets as the ford focus.its not the special occasion when you see them as it used to be.good review tho but i would much sooner have your mulsanne,i could be biased tho,as i have a 1989 silver spirit lol.
My Favourite Bentley "object of desire" is the earlier Continental T. Very hard to surpass that for understated British Style . But I'd take a GT whilst waiting for one of those to turn up !!
I like the look of the original Continental GT and think with each revision they have made things worse until the current model that is nothing short of hideous. Did they let Chris Bangle in on the job or did they just bolt an old 7 Series "butt" on the thing? Sadly, there are just too many issues with the ancillaries for me to want one. An old Lexus at 20 years and 250k miles has all its original switches and servos working fine. Bentley needs to achieve the same. As for "is it a real Bentley?" has anything since W.O. left been a real Bentley?
I have always fancied a Continental GT. I love the looks and the palatial interiors. However, all that luxury comes at a price, and thats the two tonne plus weight. I have some golden rules that I stick to when buying a car, and one of them is it must be under two tonnes. Sorry Bentley, but that doesn't stop me visiting the Bentley configurator to spec up my perfect GT.
@@ClassicsWorldUK i found 50k and 55k s63 and 60k for w12 gt but i have another question are these only 2 that have AWD ,m6 RWD ,maseraTi gt RearWheelDrive..
Lots of electrical/electronic gremlins. Some 'small' jobs require the engine to come out. Last time I checked you still couldn't buy a head gasket kit. Maybe that's changed. But apart from the dismal fuel economy of the W12 in the first two generations, these older Continentals have the potential to be ruinous like no other car for the purchase price.
@@Monkneilius The W12s require the engine out for more minor things, but the V8s still have the maintenance issues of the V8 engine in an Audi. There are not uncommon jobs that require either the front end to be dismantled or the engine dropped. And of course the V8s have significantly higher starting prices. IMO, it is better to consider a well looked after cheap W12, ideally one that has already had the common big ticket maintenance items done, and then set aside 10 grand in case of bad luck, or just consider that even if it all turns sour, you've risked say 13 or 14 grand, which you could have easily lost in depreciation when buying a new car. If you're not willing to risk either the purchase price or the potential maintenance costs, you definitely shouldn't buy a Bentley Continental. Even if the common failures have already been addressed, these cars are known for electrical gremlins, whether first or second gen, whether W12 or V8. IMO, the best way to buy an older Continental GT is to pay less than 15 grand for the car, but consider it a 25 grand purchase, or be willing to risk the purchase price in case costly problems arise. There are some moderate mileage cars in apparently excellent condition available for less than 15 grand, including cars with full Bentley service history. IMO, that's the way to go, because the additional price of a 2007 car is at least as much as fixing what you're trying to avoid, and an early 2nd gen car is twice the price and an engine out job could still arise.
@@nigel.w thank you for taking the time to respond. It’s a shame that I don’t like the look of the pre-2012 continentals very much. I’m considering buying a 2013 V8 for 60 grand with 30k miles though if there is more than a 50% chance before 60k miles of needing the engine dropped, that would definitely change my decision. Seems I was under the wrong impression that it was just the W12s that had not uncommon engine out services required. Thinking a lease on a new Bentley probably makes more sense 🤷♂️
@@Monkneilius IMO: Unlikely to need engine drop before 60k miles. Possibility of needing to dismantle front end, not least because the car you're considering is already 11yo. But given the price of the car, whether or not you're paying cash or financing, I would think that the relative costs would not be an unreasonable possibility. That said, I would also have thought a 2013 V8 with 30k miles should be had for less than 40 grand. I've never looked at leasing a new one, but the 3rd gen cars are far superior, and you also get peace of mind. If you're looking for a daily, a 3rd gen car is probably the way to go if you can comfortably afford it. Best of luck!
Hey Paul, saw this a couple of years ago and just wanted to say thanks for the inspration. I ended up going out and buying my own Gen 1 Continental Gt and even started the world's only dedicated channel on running and fixing my own Bentley. I've had to learn a ton of stuff like filming, editing and how to use You Tube along the way but it's been so much fun and I'm getting great support from so many other owners. Just watching this I can see how far your skills have come, and how far mine need to go before I can feel happy with what I churn out but like you, I hope to always keep it fun. Thanks very much 😀😀
Fantastic review, even the word from the experts. Thank you. It also struck me, what a fine day to have lived, a day driving a Bentley Continental GT on gorgeous country roads. You are a lucky man!
I absolutely love my 2013 Bentley Continental Gt V8…Great car and that’s coming from a guy who also has a Mercedes CL63 Biturbo M157 V8 😎🤙🏾
Has your Bentley given you any problems since you purchased it? And how many kms does it have? I’m thinking of getting a 2013 or 2014 Bentley cont gt cause I’m selling my e63s
@@kw1825 been a great car I’ve had to replace radiator and hose other than it’s been great 👍🏽
@@Fasteddiebreakshearts Awesome! How many miles does the Bentley have?
What are the rough yearly running costs?
@@Fasteddiebreaksheartsí
Beautiful car. I’ve got a bentayga. They are all a treat. Big boy cars got big boy problems but the rule is- if you can afford it then it’s worth it.
An excellent review - I can't understand those who claim these are "not proper Bentleys" - how else in this day and age can you develop the marque? Start with a clean sheet of paper, a thorough knowledge of the Bentley heritage and enough money to develop a state of the art GT and this is what you get. I'm very sure that W.O. would approve.
Great cars .., had mine 8 years
Great review, I love this generation of the Continental 👌
Thanks for watching!
They are vastly more modern than the RR era.The bottom of the front wheelarch/Sill area,gets stone chipped and goes rusty.Why Bentley never fitted a clear film down there I will never know.....But they are a fantastic car,but when pushing on you do feel the weight!Would have one in a heartbeat.😍And with the right interior its an incredible car to waft in,especially if it had specced sheepskin rug floor mats!
Wish I could afford to run one. I've only been a passenger in a pre facelift loved how smooth it is
What makes them expensive to run
@@jamesgrant3812 Lowest reliability among all brands at the time, high labor cost, single digit mpg in town
Always fancied a Continental. They are one of those cars that you see and never get bored of looking at. So many beautiful curves and slight details that you didn't notice before. I'd take one in a heartbeat, although, not sure the bank manager would finance the running of it. But, with sensible use and care it would be a great car to have. Hasn't that look aged well! Delicious.....just delicious!
Going from what real owners say it's incredibly unreliable and very expensive to keep running. But when it's working it's great. There is a very good reason why they are dirt cheap to buy.
That’s not my experience. I know many who own them and they live a different experience. Maintenance every 10k miles is pretty standard too. Mines been a dream. There are tons of gremlins though. And a lot of people buy used after someone hacked it up the blame the brand and not their ignorance. These cars new under 3y/30k are no issue at all.
Maintenance Manual. Every single one of them comes with it. Follow it, and nothing will ever fail prematurely, and it will live forever! The people that say that this car is unreliable, are those people that can afford the sticker but cant afford the maintenance it requires. You cant afford a Bentley if you cant afford to spend 3-4 Grand every 5-6 Months on it.
As the owner of an older Bentley I can safely say that pre-1990s cars will outlast the newer ones simply because of the lack of electronics. I've seen a few Continentals at various specialists and the electronics are a nightmare. Once saw one with the dashboard removed and a complete spaghetti birdsnest of wires coming out, never seen anything like it...probably a cubic metre of wires going everywhere!
So very true and the GT never made me feel very special. My 1975 T1 however is a lovely old car which always puts a smile on my face.
Beautiful car great review many thanks!
To change the headlight you have to remove the front wing..
Very nice cars but just to common now.far to many bin made delivering around manchester there nearly as common on the streets as the ford focus.its not the special occasion when you see them as it used to be.good review tho but i would much sooner have your mulsanne,i could be biased tho,as i have a 1989 silver spirit lol.
Bentley cars are far and in between in ohio, rather old or new so my state would be a great place to drive one
I always have a soft spot for a conti
My Favourite Bentley "object of desire" is the earlier Continental T. Very hard to surpass that for understated British Style .
But I'd take a GT whilst waiting for one of those to turn up !!
I like the look of the original Continental GT and think with each revision they have made things worse until the current model that is nothing short of hideous. Did they let Chris Bangle in on the job or did they just bolt an old 7 Series "butt" on the thing?
Sadly, there are just too many issues with the ancillaries for me to want one. An old Lexus at 20 years and 250k miles has all its original switches and servos working fine. Bentley needs to achieve the same.
As for "is it a real Bentley?" has anything since W.O. left been a real Bentley?
I have always fancied a Continental GT. I love the looks and the palatial interiors. However, all that luxury comes at a price, and thats the two tonne plus weight. I have some golden rules that I stick to when buying a car, and one of them is it must be under two tonnes. Sorry Bentley, but that doesn't stop me visiting the Bentley configurator to spec up my perfect GT.
I am in love with Bentley Continental but don't have the cash to buy!! Maybe if I win the lotery.....
Very nice, but I prefer the Arnage……
Lovely car 🚗🚙🚘👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Does it have more backseat space than S63 ?
About the same, more of a 2+2
@@ClassicsWorldUK i found 50k and 55k s63 and 60k for w12 gt but i have another question are these only 2 that have AWD ,m6 RWD ,maseraTi gt RearWheelDrive..
If you drive the W12, you will not go back to the V8😉
There's definitely an argument for the W12!
Maybe they feel special and great it's just a shame they don't look it 🤔 not for me anyway
Lots of electrical/electronic gremlins. Some 'small' jobs require the engine to come out. Last time I checked you still couldn't buy a head gasket kit. Maybe that's changed. But apart from the dismal fuel economy of the W12 in the first two generations, these older Continentals have the potential to be ruinous like no other car for the purchase price.
I’ve heard it’s just the W12s that require engine out for various things. The V8s don’t need engine out, did you hear different?
@@Monkneilius The W12s require the engine out for more minor things, but the V8s still have the maintenance issues of the V8 engine in an Audi. There are not uncommon jobs that require either the front end to be dismantled or the engine dropped. And of course the V8s have significantly higher starting prices.
IMO, it is better to consider a well looked after cheap W12, ideally one that has already had the common big ticket maintenance items done, and then set aside 10 grand in case of bad luck, or just consider that even if it all turns sour, you've risked say 13 or 14 grand, which you could have easily lost in depreciation when buying a new car.
If you're not willing to risk either the purchase price or the potential maintenance costs, you definitely shouldn't buy a Bentley Continental. Even if the common failures have already been addressed, these cars are known for electrical gremlins, whether first or second gen, whether W12 or V8.
IMO, the best way to buy an older Continental GT is to pay less than 15 grand for the car, but consider it a 25 grand purchase, or be willing to risk the purchase price in case costly problems arise. There are some moderate mileage cars in apparently excellent condition available for less than 15 grand, including cars with full Bentley service history.
IMO, that's the way to go, because the additional price of a 2007 car is at least as much as fixing what you're trying to avoid, and an early 2nd gen car is twice the price and an engine out job could still arise.
@@nigel.w thank you for taking the time to respond. It’s a shame that I don’t like the look of the pre-2012 continentals very much. I’m considering buying a 2013 V8 for 60 grand with 30k miles though if there is more than a 50% chance before 60k miles of needing the engine dropped, that would definitely change my decision. Seems I was under the wrong impression that it was just the W12s that had not uncommon engine out services required. Thinking a lease on a new Bentley probably makes more sense 🤷♂️
@@Monkneilius IMO: Unlikely to need engine drop before 60k miles. Possibility of needing to dismantle front end, not least because the car you're considering is already 11yo. But given the price of the car, whether or not you're paying cash or financing, I would think that the relative costs would not be an unreasonable possibility. That said, I would also have thought a 2013 V8 with 30k miles should be had for less than 40 grand. I've never looked at leasing a new one, but the 3rd gen cars are far superior, and you also get peace of mind. If you're looking for a daily, a 3rd gen car is probably the way to go if you can comfortably afford it. Best of luck!
What's a cah?
Insurance and roadtax for these cars in the Netherlands are 😵💫😱🥵🤬(roadtax is over €1600/year where I live)
But, the V8 😁😋😎🥳
❤
V8 is more reliable then the 12 is but both are expensive to maintain
It's a Bentley, they are all expensive.
A lovely motor car,unfortunately Clarkson blackballed it calling it a footballer’s car,but what does he know