We’ve been following the development of the 2012 Bentley Continental GTC for some time now, but today, the British company released the first official photos of the redesigned convertible that will debut at next month’s International Automobile Exhibition (IAA) in Frankfurt.
The exterior and interior styling changes won’t come to as a surprise to anyone that has seen the Continental GT coupe, launched about a year ago. On the outside, the GTC gains a new face inspired by the larger Mulsanne with a different grille and gemstone headlights, as well as crispier lines throughout.
The interior modifications include a reshaped dashboard with a new instrument panel and a touch-screen interface for the audio and navigation systems. Bentley says it has also improved rear legroom thanks to the redesigned front seats and added new storage solutions.
Under the sheetmetal, the GTC boasts wider front and rear tracks, sharper steering, a retuned suspension, and an improved version of Bentley’s all-wheel drive system featuring a new 40:60 rear torque bias instead of the original model’s 50:50.
The updated 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine has gained 15 extra ponies and 50Nm of torque delivering 575-horsepower and 700Nm (516lb ft). Power is transferred to all four wheels via a new QuickShift transmission said to offer faster gear changes.
The 0-60mph sprint now takes 4.5 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds), while 0 to 100mph comes after 10.9 seconds (0 – 160km/h 10.9 seconds), with Bentley announcing a top speed of 195 mph (314 km/h).
The Bentley Continental GTC is now available to order with first customer deliveries expected to begin in late 2011. Pricing in the UK starts from £149,350, in the U.S. from $212,800 MSRP, and in Japan from ¥26,400,000.
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