Supercar.Superbuild.S01E03.Aston.Martin.V-12.Vantage.S
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00:00For generations, Bentley has ruled the world of luxury saloons by being bigger, faster and louder than the competition.
00:12It's beautiful, it's luxurious, it's fast, and it's expensive. That's rarefied air.
00:17For over a decade, the Continental GT has been the brand's signature machine.
00:22Once it was the fastest 4C production car in the world, hitting a top speed of 318 kilometers an hour.
00:29Combining competition-level performance with luxury worthy of royalty.
00:34The proudest achievement was producing a car for the Queen of England in the same year as winning Le Mans.
00:42However, the platform has aged.
00:44The car's had an extremely long shelf life. It's ancient.
00:48Competitors are nipping at the company's heels.
00:51The world is catching up quickly. If Bentley doesn't keep innovating, then they'll have a problem.
00:55The brand's answer isn't to reinvent an icon, but to refine it.
00:59Creating their most powerful and fuel-efficient machine ever.
01:03The Continental GT V8 S.
01:06The Continental GT V8 S is the latest Bentley to wear a red flying bee.
01:30A subtle insignia that hides in plain sight.
01:33But the red badge means only one thing. Speed.
01:36With 521 horsepower on tap, the GT V8 S is the most powerful entry-level variant of a machine that's over a decade old.
01:46In 2003, the Continental GT emerged as the ultimate dual-threat supercar.
01:52Exuding high-end luxury and total performance.
01:56It was a real bold move to decide to go for a luxury coupe for the brand.
02:02To set up the start of the brand.
02:04And to reset the Bentley 2.0 phase of the brand.
02:10When Bentley came into this segment, there was really nothing that competed against the Continental GT.
02:15It sort of opened up a new segment up there between $150,000 and $200,000 that ruled for many, many years.
02:23Single-handedly, the GT resuscitates the grand touring genre.
02:27It was about creating a really special coupe, 2 plus 2 seater, which was combining performance and incredible driving experience.
02:39It was really a coming together of two worlds. The blending of the luxury world with the performance world.
02:48It was a real breakthrough car for us.
02:51Almost overnight, the machine becomes an automotive icon.
02:55When it entered the market in 2003, it changed the perception of the whole brand completely.
03:03Part supercar, part super saloon.
03:07The machine quickly increases sales five-fold.
03:11The change was dramatic from where it was producing just around 2,000 cars per annum to producing just over 10,000 cars.
03:19The Continental was a play for volume by Bentley. This was a car that was more affordable and also an everyday livable car.
03:29The GT's success traces its roots back to a formula that's nearly 100 years old.
03:34That special combination of the performance, luxury and practicality, that's what makes that Bentley GT to an icon.
03:44A mantra where bigger is always better.
03:47It's an ideology that harkens back to W.O. Bentley, the man who founds the company in 1919.
03:54W.O. Bentley created relatively big cars.
03:59He was of the opinion that if the car is not fast enough, I have to put a bigger engine in.
04:05When the brand reboots in 2003, the team doesn't start with the engine.
04:09But rather the shape of the car itself.
04:12It started with a blank sheet of paper, believe it or not.
04:15The styling of the car certainly dictated quite a small engine bay.
04:19So we had to come up with an engine that would package in that tight engine bay and produce the power and torque that one would expect from a Bentley.
04:29Packaging concerns lead the team to create a unique W12 engine.
04:34The W12 is an interesting engine. Its layout is not really shared by anything else.
04:38The W12 is two VR6 engines, which are staggered.
04:42When you combine two of them, it's four rows of cylinders. That's the W12.
04:47But age has a way of catching up with beauty.
04:50No matter how powerful it is.
04:55It's not a particularly efficient design.
04:58It doesn't feel like it's going to last.
05:00It's not a particularly efficient design.
05:03It doesn't fit into the modern world in the way that some smaller engines do because it doesn't get the greatest fuel economy.
05:09The once emboldened Continental is now on borrowed time.
05:13When we entered the market with the Continental GT, it was unique.
05:16Today there are probably 10 or 20 competitors.
05:21Younger, lighter and nimbler challengers have started to steal its thunder.
05:25For years, Rolls-Royce was the brand's main rival, but now a variety of marks have Bentley in their crosshairs.
05:33So there's no time for us to sit still.
05:36The high-end, posh society that the original machine targeted has changed.
05:40Consumers can be very fickle. After a while, if something stops being cool, they're going to move on to the next thing.
05:46Rising fuel costs have also challenged the very foundation of the brand.
05:50They're in a very difficult position that they've been very successful on this car and there's a lot of people who want this car the way it is, but they still also have to keep it modern.
05:58In order to remain at the top of the GT category, Bentley has to do two contradictory things at the same time.
06:05Increase power and slim its flagship down.
06:08Bentleys have never been lightweight. They've never been small cars.
06:11They weigh as much as a lot of SUVs, but they make up for that with a lot of power.
06:15Reworking the Bentley archetype is no small feat.
06:18For a brand like Bentley, it's very important to understand how to transfer this rich history into today.
06:28Now it's up to Luc Donkervolk, head of design, to bring the classic Conti shape into the modern age.
06:34It's an industrial process relying on artistic communication language, which is drawing.
06:40To get modern, the team goes back in time.
06:44They start the new model's revision by sketching lines on paper.
06:48What's really important is what we call the power line and the haunch.
06:52Those two lines are the DNA of the brand and they are really present in different orchestrations.
06:57The brand's strong history is a blessing and a curse.
07:01We don't want to make a retro car, but we want to anchor it in the past.
07:04Designers labour to push the edge.
07:07This wow effect you get when you see that car for the first time is coming from the styling.
07:13Tradition takes a dramatic sidestep towards new tech inside the Bentley Visualisation Suite.
07:20A state-of-the-art facility where a simple sketch on a napkin can become a life-sized, three-dimensional model.
07:26Exterior designer Gareth Thomas is tasked with tweaking the car's classic lines.
07:31Once we've developed the sketch, we'll work with the CAD modelers.
07:35And that's where the exciting bit begins, really.
07:38His team sculpts the next-generation Bentley using next-generation technology.
07:44The next-generation Bentley is the next-generation Bentley.
07:48The next-generation Bentley is the next-generation Bentley.
07:51He sculpts the next-generation Bentley using next-generation technology.
07:56Here you can see the CAD one-to-one scale of the Continental GT.
08:02Within this virtual, photorealistic environment, parts can be tested for both look and functionality.
08:10It's really important that what we're designing isn't just fantasy.
08:13The CAD data is a really important, crucial part of the design process.
08:17It's from this CAD data that the actual parts are manufactured.
08:22Designers can test each particular piece for size, shape and surface quality.
08:27It's like a video game for creativity.
08:31The new headlamps become one of the key parts to move the machine into the modern era.
08:37The challenge is always how to do this in a modern interpretation and to keep the design fresh.
08:43The development of LED technology is certainly allowing us to do that.
08:47The LED lights and glass covers are created with a click of the mouse.
08:54Beyond the face, the body lines are virtually refined as well.
09:00The reflections is how you read the surfaces of the car itself.
09:04Reflections are key to all great supercars.
09:10But Bentley's sense of time is based on a classical philosophy.
09:16The shape is orchestrated by those really sharp and precise lines.
09:21There's a rhythm, like in an orchestra, where you have one instrument after the other.
09:25So you have the violin stopping and then you have the other instrument that is basically starting, picking up in a rhythm.
09:31This is orchestrated by volumes, by concave and convex surfaces, which gives this richness of the form.
09:38By utilizing the latest technology, designers have modified the classic look of a Bentley.
09:47Nearly a hundred years ago, in the British town of Cricklewood in northwest London,
09:54a railway engineer makes a fateful decision to build engine parts out of aluminium instead of cast iron.
10:01His name? W.O. Bentley.
10:03A man notorious for building the biggest engines around and the most efficient.
10:09W.O. Bentley in 1919 wasn't all about just big cubic capacity, he was all about technology and efficiency.
10:16W.O.'s early engines offer cutting-edge technology.
10:20His power plants feature overhead cams and twin carburettors.
10:25It was more about torque rather than big displacement.
10:29W.O.'s genius starts with engineering.
10:33But it crosses the finish line thanks to promotion.
10:37He realizes it isn't the power of his pistons that attracts buyers, but whether or not they win on the racetrack.
10:44In the late 20s, a group of rich Brits called the Bentley Boys would take their giant and imposing massive Bentleys
10:51to the 24-hour Le Mans race in France and race their cars and party.
10:55It was a whole lifestyle thing, and they would win.
11:00Five Le Mans victories later, Bentley Motors is world-renowned
11:05for hand-crafting luxurious high-performance machines that win.
11:13In 2003, Bentley introduces the reborn Continental with a new W12 power plant.
11:20It wins critical acclaim, but time moves fast.
11:26Even faster than a Continental.
11:30What was once deemed an exceptional piece of engineering is now a liability.
11:35The Continental had always been built on the W12, but obviously with fuel efficiency and regulations, we needed to downsize.
11:44Brian Gush, the current GM of Bentley Motors, says it's time for a change.
11:49Brian Gush, the current director of Motorsport, is one of the key engineering members tasked with finding a more environmentally friendly solution.
11:58We had to produce an engine that was worthy of being called a Bentley engine.
12:04That provided that effortless torque.
12:08Gush and his team turn their attention to the smaller twin-turbo V8.
12:13The four-litre twin-turbo V8 gives us a similar feeling with a lot less capacity.
12:20But first, the new V8 sucks down fuel at an alarming rate.
12:25So engineers turn to a new technology.
12:28Using cylinder deactivation, dropping onto four cylinders enabled us to drop the fuel consumption.
12:36Disengaging the cylinders shuts down half of the engine during moments of low demand.
12:40Turning a V8 into a V4.
12:43It's part of modern reality that all car companies need to consider smaller models, smaller engines, more fuel-efficient vehicles.
12:50It's got decent fuel economy for something this big and this heavy and this powerful.
12:59The new V8 engine is far more fuel-efficient than its predecessor.
13:02But that doesn't help the Continental save weight.
13:06And the heavier a machine is, the harder it is to stop.
13:10An equal match for the Bentley's engines are its brakes.
13:14It's got huge, huge carbon ceramic rotors.
13:18They're basically as big as an economy car's entire wheel.
13:21The Conti needs large brakes because the machine deals with a tremendous amount of energy during heavy use.
13:27Automotive brake systems transform the car's movement or kinetic energy into heat.
13:36At 100km an hour, a maximum stop for a 1,600kg vehicle generates enough electricity to keep a 100W lightbulb lit for an hour and a half.
13:48The Continental GT weighs over 2,200kg.
13:51From our top speed to standstill, the brakes have to deal with 10 megajoules of energy.
13:5810 megajoules is enough power to keep an average family home going for six hours.
14:03It's massive, massive carbon ceramic brakes that you can just dump a ton of speed into them.
14:08And they're unfazed by the fact that the car weighs 5,000 plus pounds.
14:12The largest engine in the world, the Bentley GT, is a 1,600kg car.
14:16And they're unfazed by the fact that the car weighs 5,000 plus pounds.
14:20Largest disc brakes on a passenger car in the world.
14:24Well, that's another unique Bentley development which we're particularly proud of.
14:29At 420mm, each carbon ceramic disc brake uses eight piston calipers and is the size of a deep dish pizza.
14:41If you go fast, you've got to stop fast.
14:47While torque-fueled performance has been a Bentley trait for nearly 100 years,
14:55if it wasn't for the craftsmanship behind the badge, there'd be just another sports car.
15:01For a brand like Bentley with this rich history of nearly now 100 years,
15:08it is very important to understand what our DNA is.
15:13Today, that DNA is found here, inside the Bentley factory in Crewe, England.
15:21Built for World War II, the factory is entrenched in the history of British motoring and engineering.
15:27Nothing would prepare you for working in Bentley.
15:30The processes and the materials we deal with are completely different to anywhere else.
15:34This is where the brand's coach-building past combines with modern technologies to create the new Continental GT.
15:41Continental takes about 120 hours to build.
15:44It feels very high, particularly from the car industry, but the difference here is that at Bentley, we make everything.
15:52Unlike most car factories, a crew of over 1,000 people is required to build a Bentley.
15:57We make everything.
16:02Unlike most car factories, a crew, there are individual shops devoted specifically to wood,
16:10leather,
16:13and the famed Bentley power plant.
16:18It's about the art of transforming those materials and putting them together into a car.
16:24Keeping all those substances in check starts inside a unique laboratory run by Helen Davock.
16:30She and her team use a variety of machines to test each material to its absolute limit.
16:36Our job, quite simply, is to make the best products even better than they already are.
16:41Materials which range from man-made metals and glass compounds to the tactile parts of the interior.
16:49Wood and leather are natural products. Maybe many people don't realize the technology that goes into them.
16:54Everything in the vehicle, from the steering wheel to the iPod drawer, is built for maximum durability.
17:00On the outside, it simply looks like a piece of wood, but actually, when you look at the science of it, it's a multiple-layer construction.
17:12There's only so much real-world testing that can happen in a lab.
17:16So the team consistently tests materials in the world's harshest environments.
17:22We take whole Bentleys, and we leave them in the desert for literally years,
17:27and all they do is sit in the hottest environments and bake.
17:31We're expecting this wood, a natural product, to last that kind of environment.
17:37It's not just wood.
17:39We're expecting this wood, a natural product, to last that kind of environment.
17:48High-tech science that begins in a very old-school woodshop,
17:53where 167 artisans craft some of the finest pieces of wood in the world.
18:00Currently, we're taking about the top 10%, between 10% and 20% of the top veneers across the world.
18:08The veneers are made from wood that is sourced around the globe.
18:13There are 14 types of wood and 9 veneer options.
18:21Each layer must first be bolt-cut to size before it can be perfectly matched.
18:28A lot of the parts we use at Bentley actually require mirror matching.
18:33This is where we'll edge and joint one side of the veneer to create a mirror image.
18:36We'll flip the pieces over, create a nice mirror image into the centre of the part when it's die-pressed onto the part.
18:52Next, the wood is coated with a strong adhesive before being pressed onto the parts.
18:58It takes seven hours to make one piece, and there can be up to 33 wooden pieces in each continental.
19:06Extreme heat and extreme pressure for about five to ten minutes actually allows the veneer to permanently bond to the substrate.
19:14The pieces are sanded lightly to remove any impurities, then they're ready for lacquering.
19:19What it actually gets is five layers of polyester lacquer,
19:23so as you take the surface, similar to the sanding stages, we'll use grades of paper.
19:31It gives it this very kind of dull, matted finish.
19:35After the lacquer is applied, the pieces are polished.
19:40We'll take it onto our high-powered speed polishing mops, shine it up using a series of wax movement techniques
19:47to actually get any little scratches or ripples out.
19:49The final piece is more mirror than wood.
19:53However, the treatment isn't only for appearances.
19:57Each coat creates a microscopic protective barrier against heat and corrosion.
20:03While some pieces are pushed to their limits outside, others are heated to their core right inside the laboratory.
20:11So what we've got here is a thermal cycling chamber.
20:14This machine goes perhaps twice as hot as the hottest day you would get in the desert
20:19to as cold as the coldest parts of Russia.
20:25Leather elements are verified for wear resistance.
20:29What we're interested in, obviously, with this machine is wear resistance.
20:34We'd expect more than 20,000 in and outs of a car would be something, nowadays,
20:39More than 20,000 in and outs of a car would be something, nowadays, say that this would ensure.
20:48Metals are tested to remain durable and aesthetically pleasing.
20:53This is a salt spray cabinet which we use to accelerate corrosion environments.
20:58Each wheel is drenched in a copper-accelerated salt spray with an acidic pH of 3.2 for several hours.
21:05That's 80% of the acidity in a single can of soda.
21:10What's really important for us is that the Bentley that leaves the factory today looks as good for our customers with many years to come.
21:17It's an extremely harsh environment that we expect all of our wheels to perform to.
21:24Quite frankly, if they don't meet that requirement, they won't be used on a Bentley.
21:30Once materials have been tested and approved, it's time to put them into production.
21:34Inside a factory that not only creates cutting-edge machines.
21:43Eight years before Bentleys were manufactured in Crewe,
21:47these brick walls were constructed to harbour the ferocious thunder of 27-litre fighter plane engines.
21:54Crewe was built in 1938 as a factory to build 12-cylinder Merlin engines to power the Spitfire and Lancaster planes.
22:02The Spitfire was one of the fastest and most victorious British aeroplanes in World War II.
22:09It's a heritage valued by the craftsmen who today build more W12 engines than any factory in the world.
22:17Since 1946, the brand has built over 66,000 12-cylinder engines.
22:22Kept the building the same and just renewed the technology that's inside them.
22:30Merlin 12-cylinder aircraft engines produced over 1,000 horsepower.
22:35Not a far cry from today's Bentley 12-cylinder engine, which musters up an airworthy 616 horsepower.
22:42We build more 12-cylinder engines than all other manufacturers put together.
22:45The engine block begins its journey to the line on a tool slightly more sophisticated than the ones used in the 1930s.
22:51So the first job we do is we take the engine out of its tillage,
22:57lift it across onto one of these machines here.
23:01The machine is an AGV, or Automated Guided Vehicle,
23:06and it allows engine builders to build engines that are as fast as possible.
23:09The machine is an AGV, or Automated Guided Vehicle,
23:14and it allows engine builders to move the massive blocks with ease.
23:18We then separate the bed plate from the main crankcase.
23:25And we fit a crankshaft.
23:28This is the first stage at which we give an engine its main identity.
23:32Each step is done by hand.
23:34This is the next part of building a Bentley engine.
23:37We rotate the engine around and we apply oil.
23:40This is the first time oil touches the engine.
23:45Now the engine's ready for its pistons.
23:48We then automatically build up the pistons.
23:51So each engine has 12 pistons, 12 conrods,
23:57and also 24 different bearings.
23:59So all of those are built automatically, as you can see in the machine there.
24:02The machine connects the piston head to the conrod far more precisely than a human.
24:07When they finish the process, this will have a complete set of pistons.
24:12One of the main differences, as you can see,
24:15if you look at the top of one of the pistons, it's not flat.
24:18What it means is that we can get the best compression ratio on the engine itself.
24:25The higher the compression ratio, the better.
24:27The higher the compression ratio, the better the fuel economy.
24:38Once the pistons are done being fit by hand,
24:41the engine goes through an automated sealant process.
24:50We do that for a variety of reasons. One is volume and also for quality.
24:54It also gives us a very consistent product every single time.
24:57The first thing we've got here is where we set the timing.
25:00We set the timing on the cylinder head.
25:03We set the timing on the cylinder head.
25:06We set the timing on the cylinder head.
25:09We set the timing on the cylinder head.
25:12We set the timing on the cylinder head.
25:15We set the timing on the cylinder head.
25:18We set the timing on the cylinder head.
25:21We set the timing on the cylinder head.
25:24We set the timing on the cylinder head.
25:27We set the timing on the cylinder head.
25:30So we have all the camshafts on the top of the heads.
25:33And we have these devices on the end that allow us to change the characteristics
25:37and the amount of torque the engine is producing at any one time.
25:57Timing is important for the engines and the line itself.
26:03There are 21 stations installing nearly 700 parts inside of each W12 power plant.
26:13Depending on demand, nearly 250 engines can come off the line in a single week.
26:18Every 16 minutes we have a brand new engine come to the start of the line
26:21and a completely finished engine comes off the end of the line as well.
26:28That engine is the most powerful W12 in the automotive world.
26:34But before the engine is completed, it must be engraved.
26:42At this stage here, this robot will give the engine its unique engine number.
26:46So that will go with the vehicle identification number and make up the history for the car.
26:52The most challenging stage on the line is this process here.
26:55This is fitting the loom. The loom is always particularly difficult to fit.
26:59It requires the operator to know exactly where each and every single connector is going to go to on the engine.
27:03The loom looks like one piece, but it's actually comprised of dozens of wires
27:08that allow the high-tech engine to communicate with the cutting-edge electronics system.
27:14Installing it is a time-tested process, created by workers who are sometimes generations in the making.
27:20We've been building engines here now for 75 years,
27:23so it's really not that uncommon to see fathers, sons and multi-generations coming through and learning how to build them.
27:31Every single engine we produce, we bring it into one of these test cells
27:34and then we run it for 21 minutes to check the power, check there's no leaks,
27:39make sure the engine is perfect every time.
27:42Hot testing an engine like this is the equivalent of a 16-kilometre drive.
27:49We value the fact that we can test every single engine.
27:52We do it because every single engine we build is a supercar engine.
27:56High performance is only part of the supercar equation.
28:01What you'll see here at our facility is craftsmanship on a mass scale,
28:05and we've got a staggering choice of options and colours.
28:11There are 13 standard leather options to choose from,
28:14and each one is matched by a nearly endless number of exterior colours in the Bentley paint shop.
28:21We've got a massive colour palette, we can offer a range of around 150 colours here.
28:31Each Bentley will be decorated with nearly 45 kilos of paint.
28:43When the body has finished being coloured, it's clear-coated and then baked.
28:49Only then can craftsmen begin to apply the classic Conti shine.
29:02The mirror finish is what sets the Bentley apart from the rest of the manufacturers.
29:09Craftsmen use a variety of different levels of sandpaper to remove microns of paint.
29:18This is where we take a normal paint finish and we convert it with our process into a Bentley finish.
29:28Great finishes are only half of the Bentley story.
29:39To stay competitive, Bentley must put greater emphasis on sub-assembly than anyone else in the business.
29:46In the rest of the industry, about 90% of the people work on the body of the car, work on the car itself.
29:52Here at Bentley, we've got a complete shift.
29:5480% of our people work on the parts that go into the car, rather than working on the car itself.
30:00It takes over 700 outside contractors producing 18,000 parts from 32 countries on six continents to supply the Bentley factory.
30:12It's very challenging because actually you're your own supplier.
30:15If things aren't right, we've got to put it right.
30:17And this is the area we'd start in, an area like this.
30:19Thankfully, the quality levels coming out of these areas is very good.
30:23Beginning with the unique Bentley steering wheel.
30:31This is Noel Thompson. Noel's one of our master craftsmen.
30:34One of the special tools that Noel uses is actually a fork.
30:37And it's a fork that gives us this very unique pitch between stitches on a steering wheel.
30:43It's a special tool.
30:44And it's a special tool that gives us this very unique pitch between stitches on a steering wheel.
30:49Each handcrafted wheel can take up to four and a half hours to finish.
30:58And to contrast stitch the entire cabin can take over five hours.
31:04Part of that cabin includes handcrafted seats.
31:08At the moment we're in seats technology for leather.
31:12Seat construction is a four-step process.
31:15Cut.
31:21Sew.
31:25Build.
31:30And cover.
31:46Here you'll see that they inspect the hide.
31:49This would be selection through the different grades of hide that we would be using for different areas of the seat.
31:55Selecting the correct pieces for just a single set of seats can take almost two hours.
32:04Six inspection tables on average per week would go through 4,000 hides.
32:10It takes five hours to complete a full set of seats for each GT.
32:17Every phase is meticulously done by hand.
32:25Except for one very special station.
32:29Where a robot sews 5,000 stitches to craft a single beam for the headrest.
32:35If I was going to stitch that by hand I would say that would take you a good week.
32:45It's essentially what the Bentley heritage is built on.
32:48Very traditional materials assembled in a very traditional way.
32:52It's more akin to furniture making than it is to making cars.
32:55It's much easier to use the fake stuff.
32:58It's a real challenge particularly when it's a lot more competitive than it was say 30 years ago.
33:06While the interior sub-assemblies are finished, a brand new engine is being prepped for installation.
33:19The question is whether or not it's too late for the mark.
33:28The Continental GT has been in production for over a decade.
33:33In the supercar realm that is an eternity.
33:37Especially in a changing world where fossil fuels are on the run.
33:42Bentley's solution? Offer customers two engine choices.
33:46Their famed W12 and a new V8 that's more fuel efficient.
34:02Both engines enter production on the very same powertrain line.
34:07We're in the engine preparation area.
34:10We've made these engines that you can see behind us.
34:13We've got the V8T engine and the big powerful 6 litre W12 engine.
34:17Technicians fit exhaust pipes, shocks and brakes.
34:47Once prepared, the powertrain is ready to be bolted to the body.
35:06This is where we wed the powertrain with the car.
35:10And this is really where everything starts to happen in a car plant because this is critical.
35:17Just 25 bolts secure the V8 into the engine bay.
35:26When you're dealing with a high power performance car like a Continental, this is critical.
35:30Every one of those screws has got to be to the right tightness.
35:33Monitors record the torque and angle of each screw to ensure quality.
35:41We won't allow any car to pass forward with a screw that isn't tightened to the correct torque.
35:45The engine marriage is one of the key stations inside the 150,000 square metre final assembly area.
35:55The build hall in any car plant is really the heartbeat.
36:00This is where it starts its build process.
36:03So this is its journey from being a body shell to a full car.
36:06It takes 104 hours to build just one Continental GT.
36:14The production line essentially is very similar to other car plants.
36:18The difficulty we've got at Bentley is we mix three different models together.
36:23Assembling multiple models on one line exponentially increases the need for efficiency and organisation.
36:32You can imagine the material that goes into a two-door coupe is very different to a convertible, which is different again to a four-door.
36:38I install the radiator.
36:51Headlights.
36:57Body panels.
37:02Bumpers.
37:04And wheels.
37:15Then all the natural materials that have been painstakingly sourced and tested converge.
37:33One of the last stops is the handcrafted steering wheel.
38:00We're on checkpoint 8. Checkpoint 8 is important in this assembly process.
38:07This is the last process before a car leaves the factory.
38:14The latest incarnation of Bentley's signature Continental is complete.
38:19But does shaving weight and adding fuel economy make for a better Bentley?
38:30In 1950, Bentley debuted the R-Type Continental.
38:37Many regard it as one of the most elegant cars ever made.
38:41The R-Type propels the brand to the forefront of the luxury auto realm.
38:46More than half a century later, Bentley finds itself at a similar crossroads.
39:00The R-Type Continental.
39:04The R-Type Continental.
39:07The R-Type Continental.
39:10The R-Type Continental.
39:13The R-Type Continental.
39:16The R-Type Continental.
39:19The R-Type Continental.
39:22The R-Type Continental.
39:24The R-Type Continental.
39:27The R-Type Continental.
39:30The R-Type Continental.
39:33The whole car industry has moved on leaps and bounds, so what we don't do is sit back on our laurels.
39:39Bentley's solution is the brand new Continental GT V8 S.
39:45A lighter, smarter and hopefully quicker machine for the modern world.
39:50V8s still have their own mythos.
39:52People still associate them with big power and fast cars,
39:57but they're not quite as prestigious as a 12-cylinder engine.
40:02It's a myth born during W.O. Bentley's day,
40:06but today being answered in a very different way.
40:15The V8 is a little less special in some people's eyes,
40:19but when you look at the power this thing makes,
40:23and what it's capable of,
40:30you're not missing out on anything.
40:33The V8 S roars to the tune of 521 horsepower,
40:38and the machine offers 502 foot-pounds of torque,
40:42figures which provide the classic Bentley growl.
40:45The new twin-turbo V8 takes the GT from 0 to 100 kilometers in just over 4.5 seconds.
40:56The funny thing about the Bentleys is, you get in them and you say,
40:59OK, it's 4.6 seconds to 60, that's quick,
41:02and then you realize it's like sitting in your living room,
41:05and having your living room go from 0 to 60 to 4.6.
41:09Continue to the GT, and you'll find yourself in a world
41:13Continue to keep the pedal down, and you'll reach 160 kilometers an hour in just 9.2 seconds.
41:20They just keep going, and going, and going.
41:23It's not the 0 to 60, it's the 60 to 120, and the 120 to 180.
41:27They just never stop.
41:30The machine's top speed taps out just a shade under 309 kilometers per hour.
41:36So you have a little V8 with turbos on it,
41:38pushing something the size of a small house at 200 miles an hour or near there.
41:44At 100 kilometers an hour, the massive 420 millimeter brakes bring the GT to a complete stop in 32 meters.
41:53You can make a 5,000 pound car do anything you want it to do,
41:57as long as you upsize all the components.
41:59Tires, suspension, and of course, brakes.
42:01Something's got to scrub all that speed off.
42:04The beauty of the Bentleys is,
42:05that they just kind of feel normal.
42:07There's nothing really special about the way they feel,
42:09except that they stop a 5,000 pound car the way most brakes can stop a 3,000 pound car.
42:14From inside, the V8 S is all classic Bentley, from top to bottom.
42:19There's a reason why Bentleys are very expensive,
42:21and part of that comes from the craftsmanship that goes into building those interiors.
42:24At 157,000 euros, the GT V8 S isn't for the conservative crowd.
42:31However, the price tag is justified by its rare combination of speed and luxury.
42:44It may not be the Bentley way to do something small like this,
42:48but it's the way to do it.
42:50It may not be the Bentley way to do something smaller.
42:56The change in size is something W.O. Bentley would have agreed with.
43:01We create a good car, a fast car,
43:05and at least in terms of the GT, I think the best in its class.
43:10We stick to these basic statements of W.O. Bentley and do it in the more modern way now.
43:16Like W.O.'s first engine, the new GT is a clever step towards a smarter future
43:23for one of the world's most renowned British icons.
43:27As long as the downsizing happens in a way that's not offensive to Bentley's brand,
43:31hey, bring it on, especially if the cars are faster.