Bentley Continental V8 S review, test drive

Bentley adds an S to the name but have they made a sharper Continental V8?

Published on Feb 26, 2014 04:36:00 PM

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Bentley Continental V8 S review, test drive

The V8 engine has also been tweaked with both power and torque outputs rising to a peak 521bhp at 6,000rpm and 69.34kgm at 1,700rpm. Bentley claims a 0-100kph time of 4.5 seconds and top speed is electronically limited to 308kph. Switch the eight-speed ZF gearbox to Sport mode and it holds on to gears longer to squeeze even more performance out of the engine. However, it is that defining Bentley characteristic – the 'torque plateau' that Bentley likes to refer to – that still makes the most immediate impression. Rapid acceleration is available at your beck and call, irrespective of what gear you are in. The V8 S continues to use the twin, figure of eight tailpipes that characterise the Continental V8 range and in Sport mode, the optional sport exhaust adds a lovely soundtrack to the sense of occasion.

But more than the engine, it’s the thoroughly reworked suspension that defines the V8 S’s sharper character. The aluminium double-wishbone front suspension has been lowered by 10mm while the spring rates have been stiffened by 45 percent and at the rear, the multi-link air suspension’s spring rate is stiffer by 33 percent while the rear anti-roll bar is stiffer too by 54 percent. What all the numbers translate to is a 2.3-tonne, over two-metre wide car that now handles like it is a lot smaller and lighter. With its four-wheel drive system and recalibrated steering, the V8 S was a hoot to drive on the twisty mountain road section of our test, cornering sharp and flat while also sending the driver a lot of feedback from the steering. It made such an impression that we actually went back up and down the twisties a few times.