The Bentley Continental GT has a new face for 2016

[SOUND] [MUSIC] [SOUND] [MUSIC] The Bentley Continental GT has been with us for over 12 years now and it's been a vitally important car to Bentley. It now makes up over half of its sales. And it has completely transformed the way we see the brand. For decades and decades it was at the pinnacle of comfort and luxury. And that's still the case now, but when you look at the Continental GT you just have that hint of madness in it [UNKNOWN] time? And now I have gone on and on about how much I like the Continental GT and how important I think it is in the future And there's plenty of films about that on XCAR if you're interested. But today we're driving the new facelifted, second generation Continental. There's been a few exterior tweaks to the styling and some new options are available. So here's a run down of everything that's new on the facelifted Continental. Also GT. Up front there's a new bumper, a smaller radiator shell and new fenders. The continental GT was already the bad boy in the Bentley lineup but these tweaks certainly add an extra bit of snarl to the overall package. The more sculpted look is a welcome departure from the last Continental GT and a huge leap forward from the now dated looking original from 2003. There's a new B detail on the side where it sets up the enhanced, strong, power line that pulls the eye toward the rear of the car and breaks up the profile, contributing to its more purposeful stance. The rear has also received an update with a boot lid featuring a slight lip. Removing the traditional rounded continental backside. And gives the car more of a mini spoiler feel. The rear bumper has also been updated, as has the rear diffuser. Also, as a first for the continental, these directional five spoke wheels are available in addition to a raft of other 20 and 21 inch options. Options. [MUSIC] One of the only things I've ever complained about from a Continental GT were the paddle shifters. I always thought they were too high. High up, and it had this horrible plastic-y feel that didn't seem at home in the Bentley. In the new face lifted model, however, that's been addressed. They now have this wonderful narrowed metal feeling, similar to how you get on the gear shifter down here, and you get this wonderful tactile approach. They're also slightly larger and lower down so you can actually grab them from across the three driving positions. Which is exactly where you need them when you're throwing it about. And of course, the interior's still that top, top level of quality design and artisan craftsmanship from some of the most talented men and women in the industry. The Continental has won as many fans as it has detractors over the years, but with these changes, in my opinion, at least, it is the best looking Continental GT to date. And that's it. That's how to spot the new facelifted Continental GT. And of course, that's all wrapped around an incredible V8, or in this case, an amazing W12 engine connected to an eight-speed ZF gearbox. Which just so happens to be my favorite combination of engine and gearbox in the world. But for those of you who watch XCAR quite a lot, you'd have known that already. The Continental has been with us for. For a long time now. And I don't know how long we'll have it left with us. But while it's still out there, available to drive, I beg you to absolutely try and do whatever you can to get behind the wheel. It's one of the Fast driving experiences available and hands down the best GT car Britain has to offer. [MUSIC]