Bentley's New 'S' Line Makes the Continental GT Look Sportier

Photo: Bentley

We here at Jalopnik love a good sport trim. Cars like the Veloster N, Civic Type R (or even Si), or the GR Corolla regularly come up in our Slack when we’re goading each other into making impulsive extremely well-thought-out motor vehicle purchases. But what happens when you add a sport trim to an already fast, powerful vehicle? Turns out, not much changes.

Bentley’s Continental GT line may miss out on the GT Speed’s W12 engine, but the automaker seems to have decided that its more proletarian customers (with their mere eight cylinders) can still have a little performance upgrade. As a treat.

Photo: Bentley

The new Continental GT S (and GTC S, for drop-top enthusiasts) gets a number of upgrades that at least appear sportier than the base car. S-line cars get unique 22″ wheels, black chrome accents, and a blacked-out hockey stick stripe along the sides. There’s also a louder, throatier exhaust to really let that V8 sing.

As for genuine performance upgrades, the S-line doesn’t add much. Bentley’s “Dynamic Ride” anti-roll system is standard on the GT and GTC S, but the rest of the suspension appears to be shared with the base cars. Similarly, the S-line makes the same 535 horsepower 568 lb-ft of torque as every other V8 Conti.

Photo: Bentley

Inside, the S cars get a unique layout replete with what Bentley calls “Dinamica” — another suede-like material in the vein of Alcantara. It’s in the center of the seats, to hold the driver and passenger in place, as well as wrapped around the steering wheel and gearshift.

As with any Bentley, the GT and GTC S cost enough — if you have to ask, you clearly aren’t the target market. Don’t feel too bad about, it, though. You can always hang out and talk Hyundais and Hondas with us.