Bentley Continental GT Gets Sporty S Treatment – CNET [CNET]

Standard styling and performance upgrades give Bentley’s grand tourer an edge.

When Bentley launched the new Bentayga S, we figured it was only a matter of time before the company’s other cars got a similar treatment. That makes Monday’s announcement of the new Continental GT S no real surprise, though thanks to a number of styling and performance improvements, there’s still plenty to be excited about.

Bentley will offer the S upgrade on both the Continental GT coupe and GTC convertible. Visual enhancements include new 22-inch wheels, darkened front and rear lights and black chrome trim. (Smaller 21-inch wheels are also available.) Inside, the cabin has a mix of leather and Dinamica suede upholstery, with “S” embroidery on the model-specific sport seats.

Power comes from the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine used in other Continental GTs, putting out 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. S models come standard with a sport exhaust — which sounds pretty rad in the Bentayga S — as well as Bentley’s Dynamic Ride 48-volt anti-roll technology, helping to keep the Conti as flat as possible while cornering.

No pricing information is available just yet, but considering we’re talking about a Bentley Continental GT, a price tag in the mid-$200,000 range sounds about right. That might seem like a lot, but considering we like the Bentayga S better than the more powerful Bentayga Speed, this might be the best performance buy in the Conti GT range.