In-house designed baton laps the world
Bentley designed a baton in-house to celebrate the 20 years of the Continental GT. The Continental GT inspires the baton’s design and is finished in the same Cypress Green colour as the first-ever Continental GT produced. In addition, the baton has an asymmetrical twist, like the blade of an aircraft propellor. A knurled cap, modelled on the Continental GT’s drive mode selector, allows access to the baton’s interior where the scroll is carried.
Speaking about the unique design of the Baton, Chris Cooke, Head of Bentley Design Collaborations, said, “Every element of the baton sculpture was inspired by the Continental GT, and there is purpose in every form. For example, the end cap shows a simplified graphic of the Continental GT with its three feature lines; the Bentley powerline from the front wheel arch along the car’s flanks; the flyline of the roof; and the muscular ‘haunch’ over the rear wheel. Hold the baton horizontally, and as you turn it in your hands you will see each of those lines in the contours of the sculpture.”
The baton did a lap around the world with stops in Europe, the Middle East, China, Asia Pacific, the US and the UK. During multiple global stops, Bentley chose 20 automotive journalists and content creators to share their memories with the Continental GT — accounting for 20 stories for 20 years of Continental GT’s production.
Continental GT 20th anniversary edition
Bentley celebrates 20 years of the Continental GT with a 20th-anniversary edition, which made its debut at the Shanghai Motor Show in April. The bespoke model is based on the Continental GT S and carries a unique Magnetic dark grey metallic exterior colour along with a 20th-anniversary design motif.
Powering the Continental GT S is a 6.0L twin-turbocharged W12 engine — which also completes 20 years of production. The W12 engine made its debut with the global launch of the Continental GT. Furthermore, the Continental GT — back in 2003 — was the first Bentley model to feature all-wheel-drive. The W12 engine along with an all-wheel-drive powertrain made it the fastest four-seat coupe in the world, offering a top speed of 300kmph.