THE NEW CONTINENTAL GT MULLINER CONVERTIBLE: DEFINING OPEN-TOP LUXURY

•Bentley Mulliner raises the bar for luxury open-top Grand Touring with the new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible

•Bespoke craftsmanship and unique options position new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible at the pinnacle of the Continental GT family

•Designed and built by Bentley Mulliner – Bentley's own bespoking division, and the oldest automotive coachbuilder in the world

•Exclusive features include a unique Double Diamond front grille, a new Mulliner 22' wheel design, contemporary technical finishes and a bespoke Mulliner interior crafted entirely by hand

•400,000 stitches deliver a cabin of exceptional quality

•New Continental GT Mulliner Convertible to make global debut at Geneva International Motor Show

(Crewe, 19 February 2020) Bentley Mulliner - Bentley's bespoke commissioning division - is today announcing the introduction of the new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible: the luxury pinnacle of the Continental GT family.

Mulliner has gone above and beyond the industry-leading craftsmanship so synonymous with Bentley and the world's definitive Grand Tourer to create the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible and redefine the pinnacle of roof-down automotive luxury.

The new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible has been created to appeal to those customers wanting an even greater focus on beautiful details. Taking pride of position between the cut-crystal inspired, precision-made headlamps, Bentley Mulliner introduces a bold new Double Diamond front grille which is further complemented by bespoke Mulliner branded side vents that continue the unique silver on black diamond theme.

The new Double Diamond design has been inspired by Bentley's exclusive Diamond-in-Diamond interior quilting design concept, which adorns all four seats, the door casings, rear quarters and now for the first time furnishes the tonneau cover. The Diamond-in-Diamond interior quilting itself has been tailored to include contrast stitching in two complementary colours to accentuate the thread against the quilting. It takes almost 400,000 stitches to deliver this quilting across the cabin of the car, with each diamond containing exactly 712 individual stitches – each one precisely aligned to point to the centre of the diamond it creates. Developing the embroidery process to deliver this process alone took 18 months.

Furnishing the sleek and muscular profile of the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible are all-new 22' 10-spoke painted & polished wheels with floating, self-levelling wheel badges that remain upright as the wheel rotates.

The ultimate handcrafted Continental GT Convertible interior offers eight custom-made three-colour combinations. A new Mulliner-designed colour split defines the eight colour ways, including a third accent colour to the interior in the form of a distinctive design line. The hand-stitched hides are embellished with unique Mulliner branded embroidery.

Bentley Mulliner has combined traditional and modern coachbuilding techniques to introduce new contemporary and bespoke features. A contrast diamond milled technical finish has been applied to the centre console, which is finished with a new and exclusive brushed silver Breitling timepiece set within a quartet of chrome bullseyes to provide stunning interior jewellery. The same theme carries from the physical to the digital, with the precision-rendered gauges of the LED-display driver's instrument panel using the same brushed finished and Mulliner branding.

The new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible features mood lighting comprising of seven different themes, uplifted by illuminated Mulliner tread plates and LED welcome lamps that project the famous Bentley wings to the ground from the door mirrors.

The Continental GT Mulliner Convertible is available with the top of the range Naim for Bentley audio system. The state of the art setup features eighteen speakers and two Active Bass transducers driven by a 2,200-watt, 20-channel amplifier and eight DSP sound modes with Active Bass.

Customers of the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible will receive a leather key in a sumptuous, Mulliner-branded handcrafted presentation box., which matches the three-colour interior configuration of the car. The two keys are provided in similarly colour-matched cases with contrast stitching.

The Continental GT Mulliner Convertible will be available with Bentley's V8 and W12 powertrains. When equipped with Bentley's 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12, the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds) and is capable of a top speed of 207 mph (333 km/h).The new-generation 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 delivers a top speed of 198 mph (318 km/h) and 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds).

Available in the extended Bentley Mulliner paint range of 61 colours, customers wishing to specify their Continental GT Mulliner Convertible in a bespoke shade can commission Bentley's artisan paint specialists to colour-match to any item or sample.

The first example of the exquisite Continental GT Mulliner Convertible will make its global debut at the Geneva International Motor Show on 3 March 2020

Bentley Mulliner

Bentley Mulliner is renowned throughout the automotive world for crafting some of the most individual Bentleys ever created. Bentley Mulliner is the birthplace of coachbuilding – the oldest automotive coachbuilder in the world.

As Bentley's personal commissioning division, Bentley Mulliner is able to respond to the requirements of Bentley's most discerning customers' requests for further bespoke features on the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible.

The experienced team, supported by in-house engineers and designers at Crewe, prides itself on a long history of fulfilling the desires and demands of Bentley's most discerning customers worldwide. The exciting three-portfolio future of Bentley Mulliner will be revealed on 3 March 2020 at the Geneva Motor Show.

by Bentley

Rolls-Royce introduced the Project 90 concept car at the 1984 Geneva Motor Show. Many elements of this design would make its way into a new Bentley, which was backed by much enthusiasm and rave reviews of the concept. By 1991 the Continental R was ready and made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Again, the response was exceptional and the reviews were enthusiastic. The red show car that made its appearance at Geneva was purchased immediately by the Sultan of Brunei.

The body was designed by Ken Greenley and John Hefernan and was uncommon for a Bentley. It was aerodynamic, curvy, and sleek giving it an impressive 0.73 coefficient of drag. Its sporty image was enhanced by the sixteen-inch alloy wheels that could be found on all four corners. Its modern style was enhanced by the roof-cut door frames and a slight spoiler effect in the rear. This was the first Bentley with a body all its own since the S3 of 1965. Prior to this, it had shared many characteristics and platforms with the Rolls-Royce.

The name 'Continental' draws from the company's heritage and the names that adorned the pre-WWII Bentleys. The 'R' was in honor of the 1950's Bentley Type R models and the Turbo R's of the 1980s. This continued the tradition of a potent powertrain, impressive design, unquestionable elegance, and unrivaled comfort.

Under the sleek bonnet was a 6.75-liter Garrett-turbocharged engine producing an impressive 325 horsepower and 450 foot-pounds of torque. These figures are estimates since the company never actually produced official ratings. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a GM 4L80-E automatic four-speed gearbox. This equation equaled a 145 miles-per-hour top speed with zero-to-sixty taking just 6.6 seconds. Stopping was also impressive, provided by its disc brakes with the front being ventilated. The interior was plush and comfortable with nearly every amenity available at the time and the instruments were finished in wood.

This package came at a price that immediately sent it into the exclusive club that only the well-to-do can afford. In 1992, a Bentley Continental R would set the lucky purchaser back $271,780US.

The Bentley Continental S was produced from 1994 through 1995 with 18 examples being produced. It was a limited-edition model that boosted the performance of the vehicle to a higher level, thanks to the addition of an intercooler. In a similar fashion, the Bentley Continental R Mulliner was another boost to the already impressive vehicle. Horsepower was raised to 420 and the torque lifted to 650 foot-pounds. The top speed was estimated at 170 mph. Bentley introduced the Mulliner at the Geneva Motor Show in 1999 and it was left up to the customers to customize to their exact requirements and specifications. The customers worked closely with the engineers and designers to create a unique vehicle that was up to their desires and expectations. Production lasted until 2003.

The Bentley Continental T was the pinnacle of the Continental series with a heavy emphasis on sporty characteristics while still maintaining a high degree of luxury, though luxury did take a back seat to performance. The Continental T originally produced 590 foot-pounds of torque but by 1997 that figure was raised to 650. With a shortened wheelbase, 2+2 configuration, and extended wheel arches, the Continental T looked very aggressive and undeniably sporty. The customer had the opportunity to specify components such as opting for the modified sock absorbers and stiffer torsion bars. This allowed the driver to take full advantage of the power-plant and propel the vehicles through anything the road had to offer. The press seemed to think differently as they gave the vehicles handling low marks.

The interior featured chrome finish instrumentation and a push-button starter. A gentle touch of the button and the vehicle would roar to life.

Production of the Continental T lasted from 1996 through 2002 with 322 examples being created. In 1999 Bentley offered the Continental T Mulliner, in a similar fashion to the Continental R Mulliner. In total there were 23 examples of the Continental T Mulliner produced. Five Continental T Le Mans vehicles were produced.

by Dan Vaughan