Porsche’s go-anywhere 911 Dakar has been a huge hit with customers and critics, and even Lamborghini has had a go at turning its Huracan sports car into an off-road weapon, calling the result the Sterrato. But there’s one VW Group luxury product that would seem like an obvious candidate for the Dakar treatment, though for some reason it hasn’t happened.
Yes, we’re talking about the Bentley Continental GT, the Brit-built grand touring bruiser that has just celebrated its 20th birthday. Maybe Bentley feels that on off-road Conti would be too close to the brand’s Bentyaga SUV, but given the luxury market’s current obsession with crossover products is now so strong that even Ferrari couldn’t hold back any longer, we’d be surprised if Bentley didn’t put out a Continental crossover in the next few years.
At least one Bentley owner couldn’t wait that long, however. Originally a 2008 Continental GT Speed, the coupe seen here, which is currently being auctioned on Collecting Cars, was treated to a custom off-road makeover that might be a little wild for Manhattan but makes it look perfectly at home in its adopted homeland of Dubai.
Related: WRC Legend Walter Röhrl Tries Porsche 911 Dakar, Says Real Paris-Dakar Race Was Too Insane To Enter
The simple white paint is offset by huge carbon fiber wheel arch extensions that cover 20-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Verde tires, though we can’t help thinking that some more aggressive rubber is needed to go with the quick-release external cage and roof-mounted light and spare wheel. Naturally, the air suspension has had work done to it to liberate some extra ground clearance and there’s a full underbody skid plate, aftermarket front bumper bar and an RV waterproof socket connection for those desert camping trips.
A regular Continental GT’s 6.0-liter W12 was rated at 552 hp (560 PS) in 2008 and the newly introduced Speed versions were boosted to 600 hp (608 PS), dropping the zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) time from 4.6 to 4.3 seconds. But this car’s owner claims it now makes “up to” 690 hp (700 PS), which ought to help offset the extra weight of all that safari stuff strapped to the outside.
And all of that off-road equipment might lead you to expect the interior would be stripped bare like a Dakar Rally racer’s, when in fact the opposite is true. Bright orange quilted leather with green accents covers every surface and the GT still retains its front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control and all of the other luxury kit you’d expect in a Continental.
Do you think Bentley should do a Dakar and make a safari-style version of the current Conti? Leave a comment and let us know.
