Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XIX

2 4 5 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I N orway is a stunning country. Half the year, it’s draped in darkness, which covers its natural splendour in a dusky shadow. While, arguably, there are some parts of the planet that would never be missed if left in permanent darkness, Norway is not one of them. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to witness Norway during the summer when the sun virtually never sets. Up there, I was privy to the land’s snowy peaks, sparkling glacial runoffs, and wind-whipped fjords – all from behind the wheel of another visual wonder: the 2016 Bentley Continental GT. Few automakers would dare set their cars against such a stunning backdrop as Norway; their cars – no matter howwell sculpted – would simply get lost in the natural beauty of the place; journalists would walk away not remembering the cars but rather the landscape. Bentley is a bit more daring, though. The bespoke British brand flew a small group of us journalists up to Alesund, Norway, and helicoptered us to the remote, lakeside Stofjord hotel to not only enjoy the awe-inspiring scenery of the north of the country but also to experience the refreshed Continental GT on perhaps some of the best driving roads in the world. And, amazingly, the car somehow managed to overshadow even the wondrous sights of that place. I fear I’ve got ahead of myself, though; first, let me tell you more about the car. Continental When Bentley unveiled the Continental GT in 2003, it was unparalleled in the bespoke coupe category. Since then, however, it’s had to battle many newcomers, including the Aston Martin Vanquish and the Rolls-Royce Wraith. Though undeniably sporting and luxurious each in its own right, none does quite what the Continental can. The Aston is a bit more rollicking but not as refined and the Wraith is waft-y and wonderful but not as planted as the Bentley. So although it’s faced much competition, for me, it’s never lost its place at the top of the hill of bespoke grand tourers. For 2016, Bentley designers have worked to reinforce that domination… and succeeded. Let us start at the nose. Leaving the iconic quad round headlights alone, designers have tightened up the radiator shell a bit, which gives more visual prominence to the widened lower air intakes. Not only do these give the car more on-road presence, they also allow for increased cooling of the engine and brakes. Arching up from the gaping intakes is a sharper fender power line, which is accented by two new metallic ‘B’ adornments in the front quarter panels. Beneath those, the Bentley boys added bright chrome fender badges, which brag to onlookers just what exactly is under the hood: V8 or W12. Not only that, the new chrome accents help visually balance the new wheels, which include the 21-inch seven-twin-spoke design finished in graphite grey with bright, machined spokes offered exclusively on the Mulliner Driving Specification option.