Bentley Continental GT Convertible (06 on) - Review

If you're lucky enough to be sitting up front in the GTC you get to sample the same spacious cabin enjoyed by buyers of the GT and Flying Spur. Head and legroom are generous and unlike some more overtly sporting cars in this price bracket, the GTC's cabin is tolerant of the fuller figure. But the back seats have been chopped down to fit the folding hood and are both smaller and less comfortable than the coupé's. There is obviously more road and wind noise than in the fixed roof cars but the thick hood keeps most of it at bay when up and allows the engine’s mellow burble to permeate the cabin when down.

The Continental GT coupé has a useful 370 litres of boot space but the extra space taken up by the convertible roof means the GTC makes do with a less impressive 235 litres. But as the reduced size of the rear seats makes this effectively a two-seat tourer for longer trips, you can use the space there for luggage too. The soft top means no overhead storage console but there’s still a cubby under the armrest and the soft top can be opened and closed at speeds up to 20mph – handy if the traffic lights turn green mid-roof cycle.

The GTC shares its wonderful cabin ambience with its siblings, and there's something derived from the design of the dashboard and door panels that’s wonderfully in keeping with what you expect of a Bentley. It's also constructed from materials that do the name justice. Even the wood, which can so easily look naff in cheaper cars, looks great – providing you choose the right finish. There's plenty of variation possible in the driving position but most people will end up sitting quite upright, peering down that long bonnet and around the frustratingly large windscreen pillars. The sunken circular dials are as nice to look at as they are easy to read, but the satellite navigation system is painfully slow.