2015 Bentley Continental GT & Flying Spur Facelift – cosmetic tweaks and more power for the W12

The Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur range get cosmetic tweaks and cabin upgrades for 2015, with the W12 getting even more power. Debuts Geneva 2015.

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Even when Bentley delivered the new Continental GT range in 2011, it wasn’t exactly a revolution in design, more a quiet evolution.

So don’t expect the facelift for the 2015 range to be anything more than some very subtle cosmetic tweaks to keep the Continental GT range, a range that has matured nicely, at the top of its game.

Bentley say the exterior cosmetic tweaks for the Continental GT (they’re really catching up with the latest Flying Spur, which doesn’t get exterior changes in this facelift but does get new alloy choices and interior tweaks) sharpen its on-road presence with a new bumper at the front, slightly smaller grill shell and bigger front wings with new ‘B’ vents in chrome.

At the back, the boot gets a more pronounced aerodynamic profile, the bumper gets reshaped and widened, there’s a bit of extra chrome and the GT V8 S and GT Speed get a new diffuser to mark them out as ‘Performance’ models.

Beyond these modest tweaks the main changes are to the alloys, with the GT V8 and W12 getting 20″ wheels, painted for the V8 and machined for the w12, Mulliner spec cars getting 21″ wheels in Graphite grey with bright machined spokes and there’s new 21″ alloys for the V8 S and GT Speed too. You can also opt for one of three new colours – Marlin, Camel or Jetstream.

Interior updates for 2015 apply across the range – including the Flying Spur – with a new straight-fluting pattern for the leather seats and Mulliner spec cars getting a smaller diamond pattern, optional sports steering wheel and bigger gear shift paddles.

There’s new instruments, LED lights, tweaks to the centre console and a new hidden storage area between the back seats on V8 models for charging devices.

There are also new interior options, including softer semi-analine seats, Alcantara headlining, new colours and Wi-Fi.

Under the skin, the V8 and V8 S stay the same, but Bentley has put a bit more distance between the V8 and W12 by upping power and torque for the W12 to 582bhp and 531lb/ft of torque, despite which economy improves by 5 per cent thanks to cylinder deactivation which shuts down six cylinders when you’re on part throttle. The Flying Spur W12 gets the same tech on its more powerful, 616bhp, W12.

The new Bentley Continental GT range will debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show next month and arrive in Bentley’s UK dealers in the summer.

2015 Bentley Continental GT V8 S Video