The Continental R is the most beautiful Bentley

I think older Bentleys and rolls were made to be more special because they weren't intended to sell in big number so they took more time on it. On top of that the owners were posh so had higher expectations

@paulcruse

9 ай бұрын

Cheshire footballer’s wives are posh.. 😅

@lebojay

9 ай бұрын

There’s an interesting Venn diagram in there somewhere depicting the relationship between wealth and taste, then and now. 🤔

@redbluesome2829

9 ай бұрын

The GT was designed and built for a new age where volume sales to the bourgeoisie and nouveau riche unwashed masess would be the business plan. The same plan that brought about such cars as the Gallardo. Commercially successful, taking parent companies to new heights on investment, but only cheapens the marque.

@henq

9 ай бұрын

And the previous buyers had chauffeurs

@abtiepolo1018

9 ай бұрын

​@@redbluesome2829exactly. They used to be Hermès and now they are Vuitton... Not, at all, the same back culture, valors, money origin ..

I my opinion the old continental is a gentlemens car and the GT a car for soccer stars 😊

@arthurdardalis

10 ай бұрын

Well said

Interesting review - I am very lucky to own a late Continental R so I speak from real world experience. Frankly, anything with four headlights is bound to get my attention but it was more than just that which drew me to this car. It's got an elegance not many modern cars can match, it's powerful enough but at over 2.5tons it won't win races against the more modern stuff, that said, it pull like a train with real linear progression and in a way that's immensely pleasurable. We took our Conti on a 2,500k mile road trip in June 23 around Portugal & Spain where it performed flawlessly. As you can imagine, it drew many a glancing view but with age it's lost that flash element and is enjoyed for what it is - a fine old car. At around 70mph the rev clock is nudging 1500 rpm and returning 21mpg, which isn't bad for 6.75 litres V8. I just love it, there's real craftsmanship on show and although my wife is no car buff, she openly admits it's the most comfortable car she's ever been in and on that trip we just consumed the miles with serenity. Is it perfect, well no but that doesn't take anything away from it quality. We use ours like an everyday car which is surprising to many, it's off down the pub or doing the weekly shop at Lidle, it doesn't matter because people leave the car alone and I hope get pleasure from seeing one of these rare masterpieces.

@dannykeeley9005

9 ай бұрын

Nice to know some people actually using their classic instead of parking them up in a garage most of the time

@David-jm7mq

9 ай бұрын

Also the owner of an earlier, 1994, Continental R. While I appreciate this review/comparison, it is really like comparing apples and oranges. The 'R' and the 'GT' are two different cars. They do have the Bentley name in common, but the purpose-build of each vehicle is totally different, along with what each vehicle was competing with at the time. I also drive mine regularly, and sometimes look for a reason to take it out rather than something that gets better gas mileage. My wife agrees with your wife about the comfort factor. Also, I can more easily fit two people in the back seat of the 'R' than what looks like is available in the 'GT'. The 'GT' looks like a 2+2, with the back seats only purpose is to keep insurance costs down.

@lint8391

7 ай бұрын

I did a 4,000 mile 40 day road trip to Iberia in June and July. 35 mpg in my 2006 Volvo XC90 D5. Including some off-roading when we stayed in a cork farm. There were 5 of us with plenty of luggage.

Loved the side by side shot. The older continental made the GT look small!!!

@user-jr2vy2el6f

2 ай бұрын

17 ft 6 vs 15 ft 9!

The older car was hand built, albeit on a production line. You have proper chrome , proper wood and beautiful detailing. The newer car has plastic chrome and veneers , in other words it’s a production line car , albeit a posh one , or a posh Audi/ VW. The older car gets my vote .

@jameslindemann6244

2 ай бұрын

That´s not quite true. Its real wood and also real chrome on the new Bentleys. I still prefer the old pre-VW models though.

@Sharakomusic

Ай бұрын

The new ones are handbuilt too.

A 2 door saloon vs a 2 door coupe.

An interesting comparison that really highlights the difference between the two models. The older Bentley is most definitely the Pukka Bentley when it's put alongside the VW Bentley. It just oozes class and elegance, whereas the VW Bentley - whilst still being a good car - has that Cheshire, football player feel about it. The price difference is quite telling which reflects the fact that one is very much a hand-built car whilst the other is more of a mass-produced car.

@crissyb00

9 ай бұрын

The older Bentley is perfect.. except it is to much like a Rolls. Bentleys were always fast cars, until rolls got hold of them. Then they became just a Rolls with a different badge. VW did a pretty good job of blending the class and the speed. Just a shame it had to be based of some other car.. not so bespoke or hand made now.

@christianvanneuves9958

9 ай бұрын

Yep, the new one has the Wayne Rooney look and feel.

@crissyb00

9 ай бұрын

@@christianvanneuves9958 Way to young for Wayne. He like em to have a few wrinkles

@abtiepolo1018

9 ай бұрын

Interesting point about the football. The continental R would have never been in the hands of any football player... It saus a lot about what Occident has turned to since globalization.

@abtiepolo1018

9 ай бұрын

​@@crissyb00the continental R , and the extraordinary Azure, never had an equivalent in the Rolls Royce range.

Bentley's in the independent days were a sporting car....while the Rolls Bentleys are very nice cruisers i think the more sporty character suits Bentleys original back ground.

We called those early Bentley’s a “boat” because they would just float down the road and you dare not drive them too aggressively. They were an elegant car.

Man, the old Conti is sooooooo quiet. Can't believe it's so old and still quieter than 95% of the cars made today -- including those comedians in Audi, BMW, Merc and Jaguar.

@wigs1098

9 ай бұрын

Not really comedians, drive an older Rolls Royce or Bentley, really poor dynamics compared to the others. This matters if you are an owner driver as much as the ride and quietness does.

Excellent idea to compare the two. Thank you. To me, the question of quality is not so much whether something is "bespoke" in order to show off, but depends on the amount of time somebody was ready to invest in something. And the British car manufacturers (probably still do) invest a lot of time. I appreciate that silent joy, and that is also what I would be ready to pay for extra. And in comparison, it is probably relatively cheap :)

@boxsterman77

9 ай бұрын

Investing time and effort is but a means of getting to quality; not quality itself. Were that not true, I’d have so many projects in my house of incredible quality. I can assure you that I do not. I always think of quality in terms of fit, function, feel, longevity, durability and some other more ineffable unquantifiable factors like visual, tactile and auditory appeal. Very often high quality can be achieved by quickly and with little human involvement during production. Very often, a process that is lengthy and labor intensive produces crap.

@nontasanastasios7612

9 ай бұрын

@@boxsterman77 you are clearly talking by today's standards, by the way have you heard of the English wheel? A labor intensive tool, producing masterpieces, or you can compare it to henry fords marvel of production. Which way of the mirror are you looking at? I will never forget this: Im not English btw though ive lived in the UK for a good amount of my life, Around 2000s i was after either a 5series an E series or a Jaguar, i went for a E39 530D station wagon which was dominating (at my eyes) everyone else. An old friend of mine went for a Jaguar, we sat down somewhere and while talking about cars i said my E39 is better in all areas, his answer was "yeah but i drive a Jaguar and you drive a common BMW"

@katieprice2

9 ай бұрын

Hi, I can agree with you. Time invested without improvement is not worth it. At the same time, to me, this was not time wasted. It may have been old school but coming with the benefit of tradition and thereby something I can connect with. These cars new are both not my price range but with the older one I could and can sympathize more (although original owners probably snobs). I like to believe that it was at least in part built with the will to keep something going that once was great and still captures peoples' imagination. And btw you can clearly see the effort that went into it, at least in the parts were they could make a difference on their budget: the wood, like marble in a palace, is obviuosly chosen for its symmetry and the leather is that stuff that makes shoes and belts look classy from a distance and therefore you always look well dressed, no matter what the wear. As a tourist, driving through beautiful England (or any other) countrside in the old car certainly is a completely different experience than with the "international" one. Because it came from there and it fits. And that needed time to develop. The other one, no matter how good, just arrived and was only able to make "references".

I associate the old conti with old money and the newer GT with bling flashing premier league football players.

@bmstylee

10 ай бұрын

I agree. But the new Bentley I see rappers and kingpins.

@aussiebloke609

10 ай бұрын

Old money vs nouveau riche.

@peterream9437

9 ай бұрын

Stuff just moves on.....Has to happen. Be a boring place other wise...and we'd have nowt to moan about

@donnamcgeeonebane3009

4 ай бұрын

Nouveau riche

Great video. I bet W O. would probably approve of the more sporty GT, rather than the older softer car. Both cars are superb.

@joshuarosen6242

9 ай бұрын

I agree with this. My first thought when I think Bentley is the Bentley Boys and racing. The Bentley Boys were jolly posh and well off but they wanted a sporty car and I’ve always thought that the sportiness is just as important as the luxury in a Bentley, unlike a Rolls Royce.

The Conti R/T is a real stunner, a gentlemans club inside, and a proper adult 4 seater. So very imposing, definitely in my dream garage

The biggest difference is prestige : old Continental still has exclusive image when new ,, Bentley'' can be bought cheap and is plenty on the market.

Nothing compares to the older designs. I love the Conti. I also love the old RR Silver Shadows.

Was a continental R in an underground carpark near where I worked for a while. The car is super long.

£187000 in 1990 is about £544,000 in today's money

6:14...That Continental looks huge compared to the GT.😲The passenger space and the boot are so big it looks strange only having two doors...Excellent video.

I enjoyed that Jack.... As always buddy 👍

A good comparison between old and 'new' (VW) I think. For me the Continental R is certainly more refined and graceful alongside your Bentley GT and I would have to choose that. However I think you made a valid point when you said the GT had to look different enough from Rolls Royce to be separate (I may have slightly paraphrased there).Interesting video Jack thank you. 👍👍

Thank you for this video. Had no idea of how much of an absolute unit the original car was. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

I think you nailed it when you said "Is the modern Bentley more of a throwback to the 1930s Bentley idea". I don't believe Bentley is really competing with Rolls-Royce as like a slightly different brand during the '60s to 90s. They have diverged in terms of demographic.

The sweet spot between both cars, particularly in the looks department has got to be the Brooklands Coupe. All the presence of the Continental with the timeless style of a pillar less coupe. Jaw dropping!

@_phantomII_

2 ай бұрын

Very happy to be buying one next year

Great comparison, Jack. Interesting to see how the old compares with the more recent.

LJK Setright wrote at length about the handles, door and boot opening weights and balances, all the buttons and push pulls, and how you had to be able to operate them easily with gloves regardless of strength, on an RR or Bentley after RR bought the company. These are lessons that have been lost. We have a newish 7 Series in the family and its often parked on a five degree slope and my mother can't push the heavy passenger door open. Someone has to come round and open it. On the flat she can but it's still heavy. The boot doesn't have the motor option and I have to put quite a bit of effort into pulling it down and I'm quite strong. She can't close it without a lot of effort. She could open or close the bonnet on a Silver Shadow with her little finger however.

@drd6416

10 ай бұрын

Im glad someone paid homage to the musings of the legendary LJKS. His prose on such matters made for an informed and entertaining read indeed.... and as he was a fan of the motorists gloves when piloting fine automobiles, i can see the validity of those said musings too.

Well, not that I could ever afford one, but if I could, I’d have the Continental R - looks to me like a tidied up and modernised Rolls Royce Camargue - a car that I like immensely (although it is a bit Marmite!) - I don’t know if that was intentional, but that’s what it conjures up!

Jack! You’ve gotta find a Westfield SEight. Proper bonkers pommy motoring. Even more bonkers than then a TVR. I really enjoy the content you put out for us. Thank you.

Good video Jack. OK, Bentley is a bit of an enigma. In pre-war times it was synonymous with very high performance cars. It was extremely successful in racing too in particular at Le Mans. From then until the VW acquisition I would argue that it lost it's DNA completely and as you said was ostensibly a rebadged Rolls Royce. Now the owner of a Rolls Royce - or any car of that stature - is not meant to be sat behind the wheel. They're meant to chauffeured. The review of one of these cars needs to be done from the back seat... which is why something like the Continental R here is a complete oxymoron. A wafty limousine with only space of a driver ??!!?? VW recognised that immediately and decided to reset the Bentley brand all the way back to the spirit of the 1920s/1930s... expensive drivers cars with a racing pedigree. They went back to LMP racing at LeMans and continued until recently producing GT3 cars - with the help of M-Sport. I'm no fan of VW nor of Bentleys new or old,... but I have to give them credit for completely nailing it and the sales success is evidence of that too.

I get Jag/Lexus vibes from the newer car, where the Continental is more unique (and 'stately' vs. 'beautiful', which I'd be OK with ;) )

The Continental is in another league where the interior is concerned. Not as mad produced? Love the look of it too. It is what I expect a Bentley to look like considering we are from the same era Jack. Great work.

Thanks Jack, really shows the differences between the generations, & buyers. Continental wins for me as better quality inside with more dials/instruments! 🙏🙏

Hi Jack, As a follower of your channel, I like your title of this video. As a 50 something year old guy originally from the UK I can remember when car companies were prestigious and the thought of ten blokes hand building a car with national pride actually appeals to me, unfortunately corporations got in the way of all that and as a result cars from around the early 2000's onward have all become clones of each other, lift the bonnet of any car and all you see is a plastic cover, yes I'm stuck in the past but cars just seemed to be more fun, we didn't need to go 300mph the feel the cars gave you through the seat of your pants and a driving experience of you and the car being one was it for me. As technology advances in cars some thing get better but I think we've lost a part of the sense and feel of driving . Just my 2 pence worth. love the channel Grazie Mille.

Jack. Another brilliant video produced and edited so well. Great choice of cars and I would love the GT if it didn't drink so much.

Nice video. Fortunate enough to have both in the family. Was planning on doing a similar video myself. Great stuff

That grille on the R... It just says "move over peasant" and I kinda love it for that. Even if I am a peasant.

Great comparison test. The ex-Sound Engineer in me couldn’t help but notice the early reflections in the newer car. I would choose the older car to record vocals in!

Bull's-eye vents 5:00 😜 Great videos Jack.

It's easy to get into al sorts of arguments about what is a "real" Bentley? Is anything after Rolls-Royce took over really a Bentley? Is the Lagonda V12 the ultimate Bentley or the Aston Martin DB2, since W.O. Bentley designed the engines for both vehicles. That said, I've loved the Bentley Continental R ever since it was announced, the shape does have a hint of the best 1960s American two-door car bodies, but with a whole lot of British class. The interior is glorious. I'm not sure if the driving experience would be disappointing, but I loved the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, so I see no reason not to like the Continental R. The Continental GT is a victim of its own success. I can see where the shape harks back to the 1950s R-Type Continental, and it's pleasantly evocative without being retro. Unfortunately the car is too common, which makes it seem less special. It also suffers in my mind, because I don't like the Audi way of hanging the engine way out in front; even if the prospect of four-wheel drive is very appealing. I've always had misgivings about the W12 engine, since a V6 is only ever properly balanced when the angle between the cylinders is 180-degrees and I feared that two VR6s together would multiply, rather than cancel their respective vibrations. I remember driving a VW Phaeton (not the top, W12, model admittedly) and it wasn't a bad car but it was difficult to enjoy. There was something about the inconsistent way it would respond to control inputs, which made it feel as though it was never completely on your side. I'm sure the Continental GT is better in every measurable way than the Continental R, and yet I still want the older, objectively worse, one more.

Another great video. Interesting that in the "stiffer" GT your seat back is flexing so much 14:40 onwards ?

I feel like your channel has taken a turn, content wise. And i like it these reviews and motoring your’re doing. Please keep it up. 🤘

Great item Jack 👍

I’ve worked on two Continental GT’s, a nightmare to work on, horrendously expensive parts even the one that have VW/AUDI/SEAT/SKODA labels all over them. Has the usual VW electrical issues and check engine light. On the plus, it’s really fast, one final thing, don’t let the batteries go down, nightmare to reset the car.

@drd6416

10 ай бұрын

Its a 2 door phaeton, which was a nightmare too, and got worse tge bigger the spec or engine. If i were monied, id still go old school. Seems far more British, back when that meant something .

@arthurdardalis

10 ай бұрын

@@drd6416 Well said on all points

Great video thanks 😊

The older Bentleys are the World's Fastest Trucks. New Bentleys are VWs with bodykits

Another gem of a video. JayEm. Take notes.

Top mounted camera looks nice!

The 1990s Continenal is THE car to me. It just has it all.

I know it's easy to think the year 2000 was only two years ago, but the L series lasted from 1959 to 2020, so 61 years not 41 ;) I've not driven either of the Continentals but my Turbo R has the same engine and it really is incredibly smooth. That Continental seems to be from 1993, so it should have the 4 speed torque converter. There's just something magical about those big old Bentleys, I'm glad you're enjoying your GT but I'm going to stick with my Turbo R.

I had one of the later (1998) cars with the 420 hp engine. I think it’s one of the best looking 90s cars and I loved the luxury of the interior. Other cars are faster and handle better but there is a real presence on the road and sense of restrained power. Had to have my garage extended to accommodate her! Cost an arm and a leg to keep on the road though and I was plagued by warning lights that kept coming on. Wouldn’t rule out getting another though.

@ChicagoItalian

3 ай бұрын

I am on my 10th Turbo R - 1997 385 Horsepower and 569 ft. Lbs of torque…nothing rivals these cars when they are 100% - it’s like taxing down the runway in a 7x7….the power is always there…you never run out. Torque, torque and more TORQUE.

Old vs new? The decline is every where! Old fashion is pretty soon a memory? Nice video!

Would be interesting to see how the last variant of the Mulsanne stacks up as a proper Bentley in comparison, if you can get your hands one. Enjoy your reviews as always.

The 6 3/4L Rolls lump that migrated into the Bentley cars was just one of those great low stressed engines that in every way was "adequate" and when the Turbo was added became a legend in the up market car world. The W12 was the first Bentley I drove in a Continental GT which I thought then, as now that it was a slightly sedated monster of an engine just waiting for an excuse to eat petrol and hurtle the car down any road at high speed in optimum comfort. By comparison I didn't drive but was a passenger in a Bentley Turbo R and at speed on the highway it was as if you were gliding over ice with perfectly sharpened skates. It had more torque than was ever needed to pass other motorists and never made you feel like it lacked in any way. With the exception of the First Jaguar XKR with the 4.2L Supercharged engine, you always felt as though you had more power and obviously more elegance and luxury than anything else on the road. It was like comparing Apples to Caviar, Coca-Cola to Bollinger RD Champagne. I'm sure as an owner and someone who has driven multiple Bentley's you see my point. Now I'd love to see how the older and newer Bentley Brooklands would square up with each other!? Once again though Jack, a thoroughly enjoyable comparison and review!!

I think GT has changed in meaning over time. The Continental GT was a luxurious means of travelling across Europe with pace and comfort, but now GT seems to be more of a performance term, both nice cars, but if I was travelling from the soggy UK to my summer villa in Portofino, the old V8 would be my choice to waft me along in grace pace and style, btw how is the lotus then????? been a while

My GOSH! The Continental is HUGE!!! The interior also looks much more "hand-made" while the GT definitely has signs of 21st century manufacturing engineering.

Yet another great review, the Conti is a fabulous looking car from virtually all angles and is a real smooth ride with as always a great driving position. The W12 is a totally different beast with the power and speed of a fast tourer and not bad looking. Thanks or these as always, great cars in any case.

pinkze he say " wow I love your enthusiasm and will be watching a lot more, love your excitement of the Detomaso Pantera 🎉😂❤"

The Conti R sits too low in its front springs (common problem on all late SZ models!), but when put right, it changes its presence once more completely! I’ve done it on mine and it just looks “right” and stately again!

@MyMarsham

9 ай бұрын

Harvey Bailey kit?

9 ай бұрын

@@MyMarsham : Not at all! You just need new springs! They are too weak for the weight of the car

@ChicagoItalian

3 ай бұрын

@I actually used the Continental springs on my Turbo R as I believe they are a bit more robust.

When did you film this? I would love if you had a different backdrop than the building site fence, nothing against building site fences but I get distracted by it. Absolutely love your videos.

@Number27

9 ай бұрын

Thanks Mark, the fence is not a great backdrop I agree but the light at this time of day meant it was the only option. Unfortunately in this location most of the time the light shines the wrong way.. there lovely contraire the other way.

@Number27

9 ай бұрын

Countryside not contraire!!

Dwelling on RR or Bentley and its "Ride" I am reminded of the American car journalist PJ O'Rourke, who said: It's like my mothers Buick

To be fair, Jack, if it was a choice between surviving by using parts from the VW parts bin it’s probably an acceptable compromise. Probably only the very expensive one off customer cars have the level of craftsmanship from the past.

I was struck by the similarity of the door slam note. They sounded identical to this very experienced musician.

@drd6416

10 ай бұрын

I would not be surprised if they had an acoustics department.... to ensure things as door slamming and windows slunded pretty much the same across the board.... to ensure that perception of quality is consistent.

@richsackett3423

10 ай бұрын

@@drd6416 I would. FWIW, it wasn't as good as any S-Class or particularly good at all. Both were about a B-. Don't think they are paying people for that result.

The new Bentleys have the proper understated look, they look like a regular car till you do a double take.

That's kinda the conclusion I had reached without driving either of the cars. LOL. 😂 Since you left it up in the air, I'd choose the "real" quality over the newcomer. You're getting much more hard work and effort per £. Much more time from specialist artisans whose knowledge will not return. And, in that decision, I'm not taking into account that I have never liked the look of the Continental GT, which somehow needs some more bulk to take it properly into the realm of the luxurious.

Both are good, but my favorite Bentley is the Arnage because it was the first i drive.

@bandwagon240

10 ай бұрын

The Arnage was a nightmare. Such a mismatch of parts, no wonder there were lawsuits.

I love them both! That's my jam! debating whether the new awesome car can still be called by the same name as the last awesome car... Its just a love fest.

Another interesting video. RR and Bentley were indeed the same cars from the Silver Cloud 1, Bentley S1, up through the Shadows and T's until the introduction of the Silver Spirit in 1980 and its Bentley equivalents. This is when RR decided to create a special niche for Bentley by making them more sporting with turbo charging becoming a major part of the equation. The Spirit was targeted at the American market, hence its shape, something of a departure from the traditional flowing lines. This is reflected in the Continental R which is built on the same floor plan and reflects your comments. Graham Hulls designed later Silver Seraph and Arnage returned to more traditional lines. It may be a bit harsh of me to say so, but to a degree I see a trend of quality going down while price goes upward, with craftsmanship being superceeded by technology.

The L series engine in the continental was tested by sitting on a test bed at full throttle for 500 hours, No american engine got past 100 hours

I did some research on the engine of Conti R and found its engine has a different structure called OHV. With this structure the car would be quite torquey and outputs in lower revs and on driver side it renders a nonchalant but powerful feeling. Its power potential is infinitely huge and its size is compact. By contrast, the modern one feels like a German car with British brand with the using of new OHC engine. The old one preserve the trait of a British gentleman luxury.

Another great and fair video, you really should apply to go on Top Gear as a presenter so more folk can see you Jack! As a Ford man I don't like the VW platform sharing game , and having watched videos of Lambo Urus' with a plethora of parts badged Audi , and one of the US KZreadrs who had the saloon version of the GT getting Audi parts cheaper to fit, not to mention our very own Mat and his Lambo ashtray savings I would feel a little cheated. Obviously the older car will have parts , trim ,lights or switch gear from something or other I'm sure, look at the tvrs you've been highlighting recently, with fiesta lights etc. I think these manufacturers ought to at least put the brand badge a part is for , originally in them, as all these videos have shown though for money reasons they don't! Before someone says something I am aware the focus spawned the mazda 3 and the Volvo S40 et al, it's just not until now , that we've really noticed. Theres also the Ford tie up with VW which is sad for me, as each new car comes out they are less and less individual, for example, I'd like to see Ford Transits made in Southampton again for the British market , not Turkey because of cheap labour, etc etc. Anyway an interesting scenario, wouldn't it be great if your coupe was fitted with the 6.75 litre with just RWD I wonder if people have tried that? Also a couple of testing suggestions from me, try and find a lancia thema 2.0 turbo car to test as a follow up to the magnificent 8.32. And perhaps a PM limo special, Jag XJ12,Vs XJ40,Vs the last XJ, and maybe throw in a Rover P5b coupe and maybe even a nice but very underated 827sli or similar from the late 80s which were ministerial cars? Just some ideas, love the videos , still wanting to see Roco the dog again, which leads me on to Nobles at his house wasn't it? Best wishes, sorry for the length, Ben ,🇬🇧🇺🇦🚐🚌

The continental is the one I would want to sit in the back of and eat my caviar and crackers without spilling my champagne.The vw is the one I would want to drive.

The lower price may well indicate that inferior material were used and corners were cut in later years!

I prefer the shape of the ‘original’ (for want of a better term…Tyler Hoovie pit me off them with the appalling maintenance costs…(which may be less of an issue in the Old Dart with the provenance of British engineering)…In Aus=nightmare…Excellent review.

The Volkswagen platform probably raised not only eyebrows, but also hackles.

My Brother-in-law worked at Bentley in Crewe for 2 years. He said the reason he left the company was that he was an engineer by trade, but they weren't interested in that and had him sand down wood facias!

Worth noting, the dash shape in the GT was taken from the Bentley Java concept car. The GT is, for me, the realisation of the Java concept - a cheaper car built it greater numbers, but still exclusive.

The Continental R was my dream car, recent examples are fetching from £50,000 upwards in today’s market.

the older benty is for me the dream "modern" car...

The Continental R is one of my hero cars. A wide-body version, with little grilles behind the front wheel-arches, used to live on my street and I could never walk by without stopping to gawp and drool. Surprised Jack doesn't comment on the Italianate quality of its styling, especially the roof-line.

I do like comparison videos with two different cars and you have done many of them lets look at these Bentleys the older Continental R and the newer GT both very nice cars the Continental R looks less fussy in the interior very nice and the GT much more fussy as most modern cars are and the Contentile R wasn't built to a price as the GT was and thanks for pointing out the design details of the GT were tge design is based on Bentleys of the 1950s l nevrr realised untill you pointed it out thats good but another thing you use the same roads for all your reviews which is a level playing field when it comes to reviewing cars

Interesting comparison.

Thanks Jack .Really good comparison. Having driven Turbo RLs for 15 years I prefer the sedans drive to the Continental R but the Conty R is definitely prettier. Sorry but VW Bentley GT is a faster but definitely 60000 pound cheaper car. Maintenance on the older cars is expensive but if your VW Bentley has issues its wallet destroying !

Hello I found your Video very interesting I love the Bentley Continental R as it happens I always have But I think you are right to Say that the Continental GT does not have the feel of the Continental R I know both cars don’t suite everybody but that is the point VW wanted A completely different concept but my issue has always been that the GT is to common place I would like to see you Compare the Bentley Brooklands Coupe with the Continental R you might find more points of interest in comparison

A nice video. Another comparison that would have been quite interesting in this context is the Bentley Continental R vs a late and thus roughly contemporaneous Mercedes-Benz W126 560SEC. I think this is more about two different philosophies in the same spirit, but that they both really excel in their own way. The W126 560SEC is usually nowadays compared to the Porsche 928 GTS, but this is completely wrong in my opinion. Yes, they're both German and they're both at home on the Autobahn, but the W126 560SEC actually looks more like a German attempt to match the Continental R before VAG bought Bentley and developed the GT.

2 majestic cars.

is that one of Harrys Favourite roads?????

One test that trumps them all , having been around many different Bentleys , is slightly different to the opening and closing the door test , its the percieved assault on the senses , at the moment , a friend of mine in the motor trade has a 1936 Hooper Bentley , a 1967 Bentley T1 and a 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur , I am going to put more strength to my arguement and state that the Bentley Turbo R , the Arnage and Azure all have one quality the Conti Spur does not have , they all smell like a Bentley !

Perhaps you could try/borrow a Wraith which might be a Continental equivalent. Incidentally organs have stops, not switches! Love your videos though.

Thank you for this thoughtful episode-part review and part contemplation. By the time VW and BMW bought their UK marques everyone had learned the importance of maintaining brand ID. VW worked hard to reinterpret the Bentley while RRB did not comprehend that when designing the earlier Continental. Do you recall that RRB-made 1950s-60s Continentals looked like “sporty” variants of standard saloons, but specialists such as Park Ward were allowed to stray-Chinese eyes, this monstrosity, and the Azure. I think that is why you are able to spot more similarities between the GT and older Bentleys. I think BMW’s RR is turned out to be more RR than even RRB’s own update (such as the rather meek looking Silver Shadow). As good as VW’s Bentley has been, I think BMW’s Mini was a more brilliant remake. This episode makes me sorry to consider other brands that have not been as carefully nurtured-including Maserati, Alfa Romeo, MG, and especially Jaguar.

I remember when the Continental R came out and, being about 10 years old, I thought it was the most magnificent thing. I've thought about blowing all my money and buying one but sadly I doubt I could afford to run it to the shops and that's before the repairs start mounting up..! But what a wonderful thing it is..

I think the new Bentley still nicer than the old one as it looks sporty yet grand.

I’d say it was more the footballers and bling merchants that sullied the Bentley brand, rather than Volkswagen per se.

The VW car seems to me to hark back more to what Bentley was before RR took them over.

They're different cars but they are both great. I haven't had the GT, but do have a flying spur and I love it. I've had older ones too and love them as well, though I sold them all off over the years when I got tired of chasing parts. The VW Bentleys are easy to find parts for if you know how to cross reference the parts numbers. It's a fun topic for anoraks, but they are all pretty special.

@wholeNwon

9 ай бұрын

Ah, yes, the problems of parts and why they are so often needed.

@webersteve1547

9 ай бұрын

How expensive or complicated is it to maintain the modern Bentley?

@noserly

9 ай бұрын

@@webersteve1547 Maybe $3k a year unless something big goes wrong. There are a lot of vacuum lines and so many sensors. I just replaced a secondary boost pump sensor, oil temp sensor, and one that registers brake pressure that won’t let you start the car unless you have the brake down. That last one was a superseded part and the car only liked the older one. Mostly a bunch of little stuff. Also had a problem with the egt sensor for bank 1, and that one will randomly send the car into limp mode because it thinks it’s overheating. There are two and the only last about 4 years. It’s not that bad if you know cars and don’t mind working on it. There are some great diagnostic programs out there too.

perhaps the flying spur would be a more fitting competitor

When all the controversy of Rolls Royce and Bentley happened when the German’s became their owners. I always saw it as them still being a British Mark, but which were now financed by the German’s. Something that was needed for them to retain their position’s in the world of motoring .

The seat controls are not RR-specific, but come from Land Rover/Range Rover.

‘07 and up GT are great value for money when bought used

The styling on the newer one just looks goofy. More of a slap in the face to the original than a compliment imo. But we are in the dark ages of industrial design, so here we are.