The article was originally produced on September 27, 2013, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Bentley Continental GT W12

Was a visit to a disused amusement park in East Germany and a cup of cheap coffee in Poland necessary to experience a Bentley Continental GT W12?

The contrast between new and worn, young and old, luxurious and cheap, these contrasts are always just as interesting to set against each other, although not always completely politically correct. For this issue of Z with a luxury theme, Bentley was an obvious choice of car brand. Few brands have such a rich history and have always been characterized by luxury. It all started in England when WO Bentley founded his factory in 1919. The cars were from the very beginning very sporty and, among other things, a. was the first in the world with four valves per cylinder and double spark plugs. The first 3-liter model was very reliable and already in 1924 it took home its first victory in the Le Mans 24-hour race. It would be four more victories before the stock market crash on Wall Street was about to put an end to Bentley Motors. The cars had simply started to become too expensive for the economic world situation. The company was therefore sold to an unknown holding company which in fact turned out to be the arch-rival – Rolls Royce. After that, Bentley became a cheaper alternative to Rolls and for many years only the radiators differed. 

In 1971, Rolls-Royce went bankrupt and was nationalized. After many tours, it all ended with Bentley, in 1998, being sold to Volkswagen and BMW buying Rolls Royce

The Spreepark amusement park in Berlin has a more colorful history than Bentley. The park opened in 1969 and was then called Kulturpark Plänterwald. It is located next to the river Spree. From 1991 the park changed its name to Spree and gained new ownership with a man named Norbert Witte. The park then also received a changed orientation with a western theme. After 1999, the park went bankrupt and took on huge debts due to reduced visitor numbers. In 2001, the company was declared bankrupt with debts of a whopping 11,000,000 euros. In an attempt to save his situation, Nobert and his family moved to Lima, Peru, where they also shipped some of the attractions. But after unsuccessful attempts to run an amusement park there as well, Nobert went there to try to smuggle 180 kilos of cocaine to Germany in one of the attractions, the Fliegender Teppich (Flying Carpet). For this he is now serving a seven-year prison sentence. The park has since been closed and is slowly but surely decaying, but they have now started with guided tours among the dilapidated attractions. 

When the Continental GT was introduced in 2003, it was the model that brought Bentley into the modern luxury car era. The Continental GT was also the first model produced under Volkswagen ownership. Although some Bentley fanatics snort at this German-made village car, one must coldly admit that the model was a necessary move to carry the brand further into the 21st century. Now, Bentley is a prosperous, profitable car brand with lots of innovations and a long-term plan. 

The heart of the Continental GT is a W12 engine with twin turbo units. Why it's called W12 is because it's two V6 engines intertwined to form a W12. The result is a compact 12-cylinder engine. The power delivered from this jewel varies from 575 horsepower up to 700 horses in the SuperSport version with E85 in the tank. Power is delivered to each pair of wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. 0-100 goes in 4.6 seconds and the top speed is reached when the meter needle stands at 318 km/h. What is in the barrel is the weight of close to two and a half tons. However, Bentley has provided this armored cruiser with substantial brakes to ensure that the crew is not stopped even at top speeds. 

The old rides in the Spreepark were guaranteed to offer exhilarating experiences once upon a time. Today they are just a testament to a bygone era and not much of a speed experience. To feel that tingle in the stomach, the Continental GT must have access to a perfectly straight road. The newly built highway towards Poznan in Poland is the obvious tool for exploring the border area for this comfortable cruiser. Since it costs money to drive here, the road is largely empty of other road users as most people choose the old road, which is free of charge. The goal beyond the high-speed test is a cup of coffee somewhere along the highway.

In terms of interior, there is very little to complain about if you are possibly not an animal lover, the number of animal skins required for the fantastic interior with leather exceeds ten. The result, on the other hand, is outstanding and one is easily reminded of the comfortable feeling found in a large British leather armchair in front of an open fire. In the early versions of the Continental GT, you could make out details from Volkswagen's flagship Phaeton, something that is now a thing of the past – fortunately! One thing that distinguishes a car like this from others, which "pretend" to be luxurious, are the metal details. On a Continental GT, everything is genuine and not plastic to imitate metal.