Driving barefoot in the Bentley Continental GT V8
On a road trip to Northland in a ridiculously beautiful Bentley, going shoeless has never felt so right.
On a road trip to Northland in a ridiculously beautiful Bentley, going shoeless has never felt so right.
WORDS Steve Vermeulen PHOTOS Vinesh Kumaran
There’s something satisfyingly audacious about driving a Bentley with bare feet. Somehow, kicking off the Havaianas and going ‘foot commando’ in an interior awash with hand-crafted leather and timber accoutrements, beautifully knurled metal dials and an edifying suite of cutting-edge technology just feels right.
Bare feet are entirely appropriate for this road trip to the winterless North – to Whangārei, Opua, Russell and Paihia – to relish the great roads, great food and great scenery this region offers up in spades. At around 300km in length, our first leg from Auckland’s south to the sparkling Opua harbour isn’t an exhausting drive, but it’s certainly made easier in a Bentley Continental GT V8. This latest-generation Continental GT was released a couple of years ago and, for me, captured the real essence of the brand more than any Bentley before it. A brand steeped in luxury and craftsmanship, yes, but also one with track-bred performance and racing pedigree aplenty.
Physics decrees that luxury features and a swathe of creature comforts shall be the antithesis of lithe handling. But Bentley doubled down on the technology stakes in this latest generation Continental GT, completely flipping that science on its head and making a big car that’s also unbelievably engaging to drive. I’m pleasantly reminded of this as the Puhoi tunnel releases me from the shackles of rush hour and onto the more sweeping curves of State Highway 1, heading through Warkworth and the Dome Valley towards Whangārei. With the composure of all-wheel drive and 404kW of power under (bare) foot, you can make short work of our typical Kiwi A-roads.
There’s a raucousness evident in the V8, something the more silken flagship W12 Continental GT doesn’t have, but the svelte looks and noise combo make the Bentley a popular sight when I hit the streets of Whangārei. A meaty V8 exhaust note around here isn’t uncommon, but judging from the nods of approval and positive reactions I’m getting with every burble and crackle on over run, they clearly appreciate Bentley’s take on the eight-cylinder format as something a bit special.
Sticking to SH1, the miles melt away quickly and driving is effortless. I can sit back with fan-cooled seating and even a gentle massage function and burn through mile after mile without any fatigue. In what seems like no time at all, I’m enjoying fresh fish and chips in the lovely seaside village of Opua.
Our northernmost port of entry for overseas vessels, with a sheltered, deep-water bay, Opua’s a popular destination for international visitors entering our shore. Most recently it homed Spanish billionaire banker and art ‘enthusiast’ Jaime Botin’s beautiful superyacht. Today, though, the Bentley takes centre stage as we board the Opua car ferry to Okiato.
You really know you’ve well and truly shrugged off the city when you arrive in the Bay of Islands. Today it’s what amounts to a busy day in Opua with the ferries at capacity on each crossing. But the staff on board remain relaxed and accommodating. With some social distancing and PPE protocol in place, they’re only too happy to invite our photographer up to the bridge and allow us to position the Bentley just so, before loading up for the next crossing. It’s little things like this that serve as great reminders of how magnificent New Zealand can be.
I’m overnighting in Russell, but before I head there, I’ve been invited to Paroa Bay Winery and their hilltop Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Sage. Operated by good friends of the Bentley brand, the Lindis Group, Paroa Bay Winery also offers accommodation in the form of three luxury villas perched above what must be one of the most idyllic bays in the entire Bay of Islands.
I’m not drinking, but on the balcony at Sage I’m told both the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc and 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon are very sippable in tandem with, respectively, line-caught fish and New Zealand wagyu bavette. Regardless of the pairing, a stunning dining experience is assured; make sure you add a booking to your next sojourn north.
The following day starts crisply with the morning sun revealing yet another crystalline northern sky and the baritone V8 humming down the road from Russell. Formally one of the Southern Hemisphere’s busiest ports, favoured by whalers, seafarers and merchants of the day, Russell enjoys its heritage as a once-heaving Victorian metropolis of industry and debauchery in equal measure.
“It’s not nearly as debaucherous now as it was in the old days, dear,” I’m assured by an older lady, as I chat over a morning coffee while she waits for her coach tour to depart. She and her fellow travellers fawn over the Bentley’s lines outside the fabled Duke of Marlborough Hotel. “If the walls could talk!” she laughs.
Thankfully, mid-week up here is milder-paced than usual. It’s quiet even, affording me the time to absorb the prominence and beauty of Russell’s promenade, the serenity of the harbour and character of the town that has been lovingly preserved.
The roads tighten up between Opua and Paihia, but the Bentley’s party trick is its ability to feel smaller and lighter than reality. You can push on unphased by changes in road condition and with surprising agility.
There’s time for a brief bite on the wharf at Paihia before the 250km jaunt back to Auckland. After the past 12 months, it’s been great to get some decent driving miles in, sink my feet in the sand and reconnect with one of my favourite parts of the world. Unsurprisingly, the Bentley has been a brilliant tourer. Maybe the bare feet and salt air played a part, but I can honestly say I’ve never felt so reinvigorated at the end of a day’s driving.
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UNO Drives: the Bentley Bentayga
When Ettore Bugatti described the 1924 Le-Mans-winning Bentley 3-litre as ‘the world's fastest lorry’, he was trying to insult its winning durability. If only he knew what was in store nearly a century later. Driving the Bentayga down to Mount Maunganui from Auckland, there was nothing remotely lorry or truck-like about Bentley's foray into the SUV market.
Shaun Summerfield is a proper boy. He spent 17 years as a journalist, covering world cups and epic motor races across the world for Newshub. After a job of adrenaline-fuelled deadlines, Shaun is now the general manager of marketing and communications at the Giltrap Group. It's a role the suave petrolhead describes as, "Close to perfect: surrounded by some of the best cars on the planet and working for a family-owned company." He brings a brand new Bentley down to The Mount. It was a slower photoshoot than usual: the Bentayga certainly draws a crowd.
WORDS SHAUN SUMMERFIELD PHOTOS GRAEME MURRAY
When Ettore Bugatti described the 1924 Le-Mans-winning Bentley 3-litre as ‘the world's fastest lorry’, he was trying to insult its winning durability. If only he knew what was in store nearly a century later. Driving the Bentayga down to Mount Maunganui from Auckland, there was nothing remotely lorry or truck-like about Bentley's foray into the SUV market. Neither Signore Bugatti nor W.O. Bentley, I suspect, would ever have imagined the ‘Flying B’ adorning a diesel-powered SUV. Still, had they seen the numbers, they would have been impressed. My favourite is 48 – as in the 48-volt electrical system that provides the spark for two of the Bentayga diesel's most impressive features.
The first is ‘triple-charging’. Two mechanical, twin-scroll turbochargers are uniquely boosted by an electrically driven compressor, that third unit banishing turbo lag, meaning 900Nm of torque is delivered from 1000rpm. That means being able to virtually idle up the boat ramp at Sulphur Point, even hauling a Rayglass 2350 out of the water.
Fastest and most-refined
I never thought I'd be describing a Bentley as a great towing car. But the automotive world is changing fast, and Bentley are changing with it. Despite the sight of the never-seen-before-on-a-Bentley warning sticker on the filler cap, the Bentayga is as Bentley as any other automobile to come out of the Crewe factory.
It's the fastest and most refined diesel ever built, with a top speed of 270 kph. And most ‘Bentleyesque’ of all is the acceleration; despite weighing 2511 kg, the Bentayga dispatches 0 – 100 kph in 4.8 seconds.
That should take care of the diesel-perfumed elephant in the room, except to mention the other obvious upside: economy. This oil-burning Bentayga's official consumption figure is only 8 litres per 100 km.
More than a magic-carpet ride
One of the toughest challenges for this SUV is combining a magic-carpet ride with sporty handling. That's achieved with the second of those impressive Bentayga features – the Bentley Dynamic Ride (BDR) system.
Like the turbocharging, this system benefits from the 48-volt lithium-ion electrics. Even more than the engine boost, BDR is the Bentayga’s key to reproducing progress from the Bentley Continental GT in this SUV. Working together with the adjustable dampener system and air suspension, BDR controls the Bentayga’s roll bars, courtesy of electric motors that each produce 30% more grunt than the diesel engine (yes, really), helping the vehicle defy a few laws of physics and eliminate body roll.
All this technology operates in the background, almost silently, leaving passengers to enjoy the refined opulence that defines the brand. Bentley go to extraordinary lengths for their car interiors. There is simply nothing to fault inside this car. The most perfectly grained walnut comes from the root balls of old trees from California. The result is a wood grain you can’t stop looking at.
Incredible attention to detail
Only bulls from northern Europe are deemed worthy enough to supply the hides – 14 of them – needed to trim the Bentayga's interior, as they haven't been scarred by barbed wire. (It has to be bulls, not cows, so there are no stretch marks.) And the diamond-patterned seats take nearly a week of careful cross-stitching. You park your behind very gently indeed as you get in.
There is plenty of technology at hand, but it’s the trademark organ stops used to control the car's ventilation that sum up the Bentayga’s interior. They operate with a just-so level of resistance; all very old school, yet comfortably at home in Bentley's 'down-with-the-kids' SUV.
Like every Bentley, the Bentayga has a rather magnificent presence. But it's also a bona fide off-roader, and it's more capable than just about any other premium-luxury car. The suspension rises to offer 285 mm of ground clearance, with an official wading depth of 500 mm. Who'll be the first down that boat ramp at Sulphur Point to test it out? That pleasure will be yours, Team UNO.
auckland.bentleymotors.com