99: Bentley Continental GT – genuinely agile and sporty

Top 100 cars for 2020: Cabin is a sybarite’s delight, with wall-to-wall wood panelling

The big 6.0-litre W12 turbo engine is hardly in keeping with the cultural zeitgeist, but it’s massively (in every sense) impressive
The big 6.0-litre W12 turbo engine is hardly in keeping with the cultural zeitgeist, but it’s massively (in every sense) impressive

Bentley’s big four-door has matured into a deeply impressive car, and not merely because we’re so distracted by the three-sided rotating centre console that switches from plain wood veneer, to a huge touchscreen, to three individual analogue clocks. Alright, so we’re a bit distracted…

Still though, thanks to borrowing the Porsche Panamera's chassis, this Conti GT has moved from fast, but lumbering, to genuinely agile and sporty. The big 6.0-litre W12 turbo engine is hardly in keeping with the cultural zeitgeist, but it's massively (in every sense) impressive, capable of warp-factor speeds, but with turbine-like refinement.

The Conti GT handles too, although you have to make some allowances for the sheer heft of that big engine over the front wheels. Cabin is a sybarite’s delight, with wall-to-wall wood panelling, knurled aluminium, and quilted leather. Now, excuse us while we go flip the screen again…

Best model: Continental GT W12 for €320,000 (approx)

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Price range: €280,000 to €350,000 (approx) Finance from POA per month.

Co2 emissions: TBA to 317g/km

Sum up: Cad-mobile par excellence.

* A note on Co2 figures: For almost all the cars in the Top 100, we’ve quoted the stricter WLTP figures for Co2 emissions. A few are still quoted on their older NEDC2 figure, and that’s the number they’ll be taxed on. If you’re confused at all, just consult your local dealer for specific data for the make and model in which you’re interested.