1997 Bentley Continental T

The Bentley Continental T was a short-wheelbase version of the Continental and was introduced in 1996. The Continental R - which had been styled by John Heffernan and Ken Greenley (whose resume included the Aston Martin Virage) - rested on a 120.5-inch wheelbase while the Continental T measured 116.5 inches. These Grand Touring vehicles were powered by a 6.75 liter turbocharged V8 backed by a four-speed GM 4L80-E automatic gearbox. The Continental T had an additional fifteen horsepower over the 1996 Continental R, at 400 horsepower and 800 Nm of torque (an additional 54Nm over the Continental R). It had larger disc brakes, full front brake calipers, and ABS.

On the inside were a separate push-button starter, lambswool carpets, polished aluminum trim, chrome-finished instruments, and turned-metal dashboard (the Continental R had wood finish instruments).

The Continental T had an estimated top speed of 274 km/h (170 mph) and could race from 0-97 mph in 6.2 seconds. The quarter-mile took just 14.5 seconds at a speed of 158.2 km/h (98.2 mph).

In 1999, Bentley introduced the Continental T Mulliner which gained improvements to its suspension including modified shock absorbers and stiffer torsion bars. Also introduced was another limited production of the Continental T named the Continental SC 'Sedanca Coupé,' distinguished by a removable roof panel over the front seats. The total production reached 79 cars with 6 being fitted with the Mulliner package and 78 having left-hand drive.

Between 1996 and 2002, Bentley built a total of 322 examples of the Continental T, 23 were Continental T Mulliner, and five were Continental T Le Mans.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2020