2023 Bentley Continental GT facelift spied testing
The Continental GT is set to receive a mid-life update later this year, and it’s already been spotted out on the road
Bentley is set to launch an updated Continental GT later in 2023, but before we get the official details, photographers have spotted mules for the first time. Undergoing cold weather testing in the Arctic Circle, the new GT will feature new tech, performance gains and design changes across the board.
The Continental GT won’t see a drastic change to its overall design, but will come with changes to its front and rear lighting units, the rear lights now being two-piece units that spread onto the re-profiled bootlid. The wheels and bumpers will also change, with a more prominent diffuser section visible under the new tail lights and a completely different lighting signature upfront that will be inspired by the Mulliner Bacalar and Batur low-production specials.
The front grille features a new array of sensors, although these will be more artfully integrated into the final mesh grille that’s become typical of the Continental GT.
Under the bonnet, expect the same 6-litre W12 and 4-litre V8 as currently found in the range. As it stands the lineup begins with the 542bhp Continental GT V8 S, rising to the range-topping GT Speed with the 6-litre twin-turbocharged W12, producing 650bhp and 664lb ft for a 3.5sec 0-60mph time and 208mph top speed.
There will also be a new plug-in hybrid powertrain option arriving this year, aligning to Bentley’s confirmation that all its models will be partially electrified by the end of this year. As it stands, Bentley does offer a hybrid powertrain option on its MEB platform twin, the Flying Spur, shared with the Porsche Panamera S E-hybrid. In that case it’s made up of a twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 engine paired to an electric motor producing a combined 536bhp, only slightly less than the current entry-level V8 model.
Bentley has not released any official information on the new model, but it will debut sometime later this year in both Coupe and Convertible body styles.
