The Netherlands has plenty to offer for the discerning driver: beautiful speed bumps, smooth asphalt to drive at 100, and on winding roads you will always have the company of cyclists and walkers. A high standard that is often hard to find abroad. So if you finally come across a nice piece of asphalt (in this case in the Jura Mountains in Switzerland) and you have a suitable vehicle under your belt (in this case a Bentley Continental GTC Azure with a V8), then it is extremely frustrating. if there is a truck driving in front of you all the time (in this case even two). Or maybe not?
We drive near Geneva, because this is the place where the Bentley Continental GT was unveiled twenty years ago. It was Bentley’s first model under the authority of Volkswagen and the brand’s first car with the W12, an engine that is on the verge of extinction.
We drive the Continental GTC Azure: the most comfortable
The original plan was that we would do this route today in the Continental GT Speed with W12, but we have driven that route before; and to ask ChatGPT to rewrite that test for us, that would be very lazy. With a GT Speed we were undoubtedly impatiently looking for a place to overtake, but in this Bentley Continental GTC Azure we think it’s fine that way.
Bentley’s Azure models are aimed at ultimate comfort. The massage chairs gently knead our backs, the sun provides some vitamin D and the V8 moves us up the mountain with a satisfied rumble. The destination isn’t going anywhere, let’s enjoy the ride a little longer.
An Azure version was added to the range for every Bentley last year. They all get specific 22-inch wheels, slightly more chrome in the grille, the most comfortable seats in the catalog and a softer setting for the suspension. And so they all have a V8 instead of a twelve-cylinder.
The eight-cylinder makes itself heard
As soon as the truck disappears, we can’t resist putting the Continental in Sport mode. The kid gloves of the V8 come off and the engine emits an almost American roar. Together with the clearly audible blowing of the turbo, it becomes a less elegant affair, but it is still enjoyable, especially with the roof down.
And as soon as the air suspension and active stabilizers are in this mode, the comfort creature is also not averse to a smooth bend or two. On the highway you are above 130 km/h with your head still relatively out of the wind, which is pleasant.
So: which engine suits the open Conti better?
You do feel that there is a nice wind in the rest of the cabin. It is even more pleasant to close the roof at such roads and speeds; then most of the noise actually comes from the wide tires, but not from outside. With the roof closed you are also less bothered by the sun’s reflection on the brushed aluminum on the dashboard – a minor drawback.
We also took a farewell tour in the more powerful W12. It has to work less hard and, due to its lazy character, feels like a better match for a slow-paced yet fast car like the Azure. But it doesn’t have the bipolar character that the eight-cylinder offers, and in terms of pace the two are more or less interchangeable. It shouldn’t be too relaxed either.
Specifications of the Bentley Continental GTC Azure (2023)
Engine
3,996 cc
V8 biturbo
550 hp @ 6,000 rpm
770 Nm @ 2000 rpm
Drive
four wheels
8v automatic
Performance
0-100 km/h in 4.1 s
top speed 318 km/h
Consumption (average)
12.5 l/100 km
284 g/km CO2 G Label
Dimensions
4,850×2,187x
1,399 mm (lxwxh)
2,849 mm (wheelbase)
2,165 kg
90 l (petrol)
235 l (luggage)
Prices
nnb (NL)
nnb (B)
#Bentley #Continental #GTC #Azure #review #W12