2004-2012 Bentley Continental used car review

Regardless of whether you believe Meet the Fockers was a turkey or not (it was) it's a fact that Robert De Niro still cuts an imposing figure on the big screen. Neither does it matter whether you're a fan of the great outdoors or not; the Grand Canyon is still an imposing thing to behold.

And love it or loathe it, when it comes to four wheels, you just can't deny that Bentley's Continental GT is, indeed, an imposing sight on the road. Or anywhere else for that matter.

Big, ostentatious coupes really are a poke in the eye to the rationalists out there, but they also make the point that maybe Gordon Gekko had a point; maybe greed does have something going for it.

Okay, in an age where people are more likely to have solar panels than a helicopter pad on their roof, big coupes can seem, er, a little wasteful. Especially when they have 6.0-litre, V12 engines and the plushest trimmings this side of a six-star hotel. And still, they can only carry four people. But stay with us, because to ignore the Continental GT these days is to turn your back on a relative bargain.

Just as we've become a more caring, sharing planet (USA foreign policy excepted) cars like the big Bentley have lost a bit of their appeal (if not their chutzpah). And that means prices have fallen, especially for the first modern take on the Bentley GT, the Continental coupe of 2004.

The GT took over from the previous generation of Continentals which still used bridge-girder construction and continued to rely on a turbocharged version of the ancient (even then) Rolls-Royce-derived 6.75-litre V8.

But the buy-out of the Bentley brand by the Volkswagen Group in the early part of this century meant that the Continental range (including the GT) for the new millennium was going to be different. And yet, somehow the same.

What remained was that thundering presence that continues to attract Bentley buyers to this day. And what was ditched was the old-fashioned mechanical layout and technology.

As such, the new Continental GT features an engine that was still huge at 6.0-litres, but used what's called a W12 which eludes to the 12 cylinders laid out in a vague `W' shape (essentially two VW Golf VR6 engines joined at the hip). The layout is technically interesting, and with twin turbochargers and plenty of high-tech, the W12 pumped out a monster 411kW of power.

Eventually (in 2012) even Bentley was forced to face the facts and released an alternative engine; a 4.0-litre V8 turbo that was much more efficient but still didn't make the same power as the W12.

But the changing world has ensured that the V8 version is the one people want now, and that's made the W12 version some kind of a bargain (in this genre at least).

Bargain? Well, if you consider the thing cost the best part of $400,000 way back in 2003, yes, the sometimes sub-$100,000 (if you search) for a second-hand version now does seem pretty good. At least it does if you also factor in the sheer amount of bling you get with a Continental GT. Much of that is contained within the lush interior with high-quality carpets, a huge, cast-aluminium brake pedal bearing the Bentley `B' and luscious diamond stitched leather.

Speaking of leather, Bentley only used hides sourced from countries that don't use barbed-wire as a means of ensuring the leather was without a single flaw. And that's kind of the attention to detail you're buying here.

Many Continental GTs have not racked up huge mileages, but even so, we'd be demanding a full and complete service record before taking on one of these very complex machines.

The engine with its twin turbochargers is subjected to plenty of heat if it's ever been driven quickly and fresh oil and filters are a must.

But really, you'd want a car with a service record that included regular maintenance on every system including the six-speed automatic transmission and the complex air-suspension. And even then, you'll probably find that you might just pay through the nose for replacement bits and pieces and any repairs. For instance, some repairs will require the engine to be removed and that is never going to be cheap on one of these.

We've also heard of a few cars with flogged out suspension bushes which are both costly to buy and have fitted as well as braking systems that need major work at moderate mileages.

Despite its reputation for quality, the Bentley has also been subject to a recall or two.

The first was to check for a poorly fitted hose clamp in the engine  bay which could potential rub through a brake line, leading to a loss of brakes.

The other recall to affect these pre-2013 models was to check the fuel filter for signs of corrosion. In some cases, this could cause a fuel leak but we suspect salted British winter roads were the culprit and Australian-delivered cars should be fine.

Worth checking, however, and while we're on the subject of Australian-delivered Bentleys, bear in mind that such a car will always be worth more second-hand than a private import.

All in all, taking on a car like a Continental GT is one heck of a gamble and one that could break the bank if it goes wrong. On that basis it's a difficult vehicle to actually recommend, but get the right one and you'll be the absolute king of the road.

Our rating: 4/5

Nuts and bolts

Engine/s: 6.0 W12

Transmissions: 6-auto

Fuel economy (combined): 17.1 litres per 100km

Safety rating (courtesy of www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au): Not listed

Likes:

• Makes a real statement.
• Sumptuous fittings.
• Huge performance.
• Attention to detail.

Dislikes:

• Appalling fuel economy.
• Might give the wrong impression in some company.
• What if it goes bang?
• Servicing and insurance won't be cheap.

Competitors:

Mercedes-AMG CL65 - With a twin-turbo six-litre V12, the CL65's big claim to fame at the time was its 1000Nm. It was even more expensive than the Continental GT, too, back in the day at around half-a-million dollars. 4/5

Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe - Still a large capacity V12, but an old-school driveline with old tech and just four gears. Didn't matter anyway; at $1.26 million, it was so far out there, it was invisible to the naked eye. 2/5

Aston Martin DBS Coupe - About as British as the Bentley but with a much sportier flavour. Again, we're talking V12 engine but a smaller, more wieldy package in the Aston's case. Bond fantasy, anyone? 4/5

What to pay (courtesy of Glass's Guide):

Model       Year       New                  Now

GT          2004       $385,000          $115,400

GT          2005       $375,000          $117,000

GT          2006       $375,000          $125,500

GT          2007       $375,000          $129,900

GT          2008       $398,600          $138,800

GT          2009       $398,600          $154,400

GT          2010       $384,402          $162,800

GT          2011       $384,402          $175,000

GT          2012       $405,714          $202,400

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