Faults:

I've read some of the comments about the problems with the Continental GT. A lot of the comments are pretty accurate; the tire pressure sensors on mine went bad, after a tech got the tire gauge stuck on the sensor and snatched it off, and my tire pressure light came on. That was a easy fix, just replace all tire pressure sensors.

Another comment I saw was the bumper sensor goes off a lot; well there's a button on the dash you can push, that shuts off the warning sound.

Another issue with the GT is they eat up batteries, but you must keep the car on trickle charge everyday, also a easy fix.

The next issue with the GT, is the front bushings go bad because the W12 engine is so heavy they just wear out over time. That's about a 3000.00 repair, which is all I've spent in 10 years of ownership besides brakes, oil changes, and tires.

General Comments:

I still own my GT, and for an old car it still looks great, and people tell me all the time they love my car; most people can't tell what year it is. The car still drives good, it's a very heavy smooth driving car. If it wasn't for my GT I wouldn't have an exotic car to drive, My Ferrari has been in the shop so many times, with very high running cost ranging from 3500.00-10,000.00 a year, depending on service. The clutch only last about 12,000 miles depending on your driving skills, and conditions.

But my Bentley has been very reliable, and I really can't nick pick the car because my running cost has been really reasonable. When owning a high end or exotic car, check engine lights are going to come on from time to time, sensors are going to go off. If you don't like seeing indicators malfunction every now and then, you better go buy a Toyota.

Faults:

Nothing, but it has been owned for only a short time.

General Comments:

Without a doubt the finest car I have ever owned.

Fantastically comfortable.

Re-mapped the ECU to 660 BHP, 820NM. Insanely fast, yet tame when light on the throttle.

How a 2450kg car can be so fast is astounding. The surge of acceleration is continuous and simply amazing.

The 10 mile commute to work returns 16 MPG through back lanes, A roads, traffic lights, roundabouts, and a short motorway stretch.

On a 250 mile run it averaged 22 MPG at 70-75mph before the re-map - which seems to have improved fuel use by perhaps 10%.

Driving slow or fast is a treat!

Faults:

Tyre pressure monitoring system said there was a fault. This was probably due to the aftermarket alloys and tyres that had been fitted.

Parking sensors constantly going mad. This was probably due to the front bumper, which had been refitted at some point, was not quite square, and so the sensors were detecting themselves.

General Comments:

The convertible version of Bentley's Continental GT has always been my other half's favourite car. As a wedding present to ourselves, we hired one for a four-day weekend, and covered a total of 400 miles across a wide range of city, country, motorway, sunny and wet driving.

There really is nothing quite like the GTC, sitting alone in the 3-ton, convertible, four wheel drive luxo-tank category of cars. The first thing that strikes you is its unusual size. It's seven feet wide, sixteen feet long, and has a very high waistline, meaning mass is looming at you from all sorts of unexpected places. And yet the stylists have successfully managed to make it look almost sleek.

The wheels are truly enormous, and the 24" brakes were the biggest ever fitted to a road car at the time. The example we hired showed them off with even larger-than-normal aftermarket alloys. It all adds up to a presence unlike anything I had experienced in a car before. It made the equally priced Porsche 996 that I test drove recently seem like a go-kart.

Most of the appeal of the Bentley is in its astounding cabin. In a way, this car is at its best when sitting absolutely still in traffic. Sitting down on the enormous and very comfortable seats, you never want to leave again. The cabin combines the best of British craftmanship and quirkiness (knurled buttons, push-stop levers) with German sensibility and build quality (everything feels solid and well spaced apart). The centre information unit was a bit unintuitive at first, but I eventually began to understand how it combined physical buttons and generic i-Drive style digital menus.

Starting the engine was a thrill that I will never forget. The starter motor screeches away for a second, and then the deepest, lowest, smoothest W12 roar erupts seemingly from everywhere at once. It sounds like being constantly followed by a pack of Harley-Davidsons.

And now, onto the drive. The GTC is a strange blend of being easy and difficult to drive at the same time. Pro points are the wonderfully politically incorrect engine and gearbox, which keep the revs high and the flywheel spinning quickly at all times, ready for explosive acceleration at any time the driver wants. The 4WD system gave this 3-ton beast incredible grip and sure-footedness. Con points are the sheer size of the thing and the knowledge that a minor traffic ding will probably constitute a $5k repair.

Eventually, I threaded my way out of dense city traffic and was able to open up the throttle on the motorway. Predictably, 600 HP and lots of open space is quite a fun combination. The Conti will take off like the crack of a whip from pretty much any speed and conditions you can imagine, and will not let up until the driver begins to fear for his licence. 200mph is the published top speed, and I don't doubt it.

There was not a whiff of turbo lag, probably due to the engine's aforementioned tendency to keep the revs high at all times. The price you pay for this is that it will get through fuel like you will not believe. 15 MPG is likely in normal driving conditions. Do not buy one of these thinking you can take it easy and save at the pumps - it just doesn't work that way.

I noticed that it became a bit jittery and weavy above 90mph. This was probably due to the aftermarket alloys, which were definitely too big, and didn't leave enough tyre to soak up the road bumps. My advice is to go with the standard alloys.

Country roads were a blast, with the hood down, engine happily supplying all the power you could ever want, and 4WD system masterful in getting it around corners. I could see heads turning as we drove through villages - not really my intention, but it is a very striking looking car. Not one for a man who likes to keep a low profile.

The standard stereo is OK at best. Music aficionados should probably seek out the more expensive sound options - I think Harmon-Kardon can be installed.

In summary - I loved driving it, but am not sure if I would be up to the challenge of owning one for my everyday drive. You would need the heart of a lion and the resources of a Raja. I look forward to test driving a VW Phaeton in the future, which apparently has exactly the same underpinnings with less of the histrionics, and is even available in a sort-of-frugal diesel version.