Bentley Continental GT V8 S Black Edition – not as black as you’d expect

The Bentley Continental GT V8 S is the latest Bentley to get a Black Edition model, offering black and colour highlights on the V8 S.

When you think of Bentley, you expect that every car they build can be properly bespoke – haute couture, if you like –  with any colour, material or option available to those with deep[ enough pockets. And that’s pretty much the case.

But that doesn’t mean that Bentley’s more prêt-à-porter range of Continental models doesn’t have room for ‘Special Edition’ models, perhaps to encourage those whose pockets aren’t bottomless to spend a bit more.

This year Bentley has already delivered a Black Edition for the GT Speed and a Fly Fishing Bentayga this year, and to close the year off it’s the turn of the GT V8 S to get a ‘Special Edition – the Bentley Continental GT V8 S Black Edition.

Perhaps the pick of the Continental GT range, the GT V8 S gets a Black Edition that really isn’t all that black, with the ‘Black’ attached just to the gloss finish of the usual exterior brightware – side window surrounds, lower bumper and lower body side rubbing strips, door handles, headlamp bezels and radiator matrix surround – with a set of black 21″ seven-spoke alloys and darkened lights completing the look.

The ‘blackness’ is offset by a contrast body kit which sees the front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser finished in one of Beluga, St James’ Red, Hallmark or Cyber Yellow, and the interior gets GT Design seats by Mulliner and headliner bow matching the exterior contrast body kit.

The titivations for the Black Edition are entirely cosmetic, so the same 4.0 litre V8 delivering 520bhp and 502lb/ft of torque sits under the bonnet. But that’s good because the V8 S makes the GT almost as swift as the W12 and a lot more wieldy.

The Bentley Continental GT V8 S Black Edition can now be ordered from Bentley’s UK dealers as a coupe or convertible.