Bentley Broaching New Base Model in Detroit

Although some of us may still be mourning the move of the Bentley brand from Jolly Olde to Germany, it certainly hasn't seemed to had any negative effect on the historic marque's sales. With the Continental GT cropping up just about everywhere, the now Volkswagen-owned subsidiary is literally drunk on success (and probably eggnog, around this time of year!) . But, not content to rest on their undoubtedly well-appointed laurels, the brand has chosen to unveil a new model that will slot below the W-12 equipped, 631-horsepower Continental GT. 

Called the Continental GT V8, the car boasts the same four litre twin turbo V8 found beneath the new S8's hood, albeit slightly downrated. Producing 500 horsepower and 481 pound feet of torque, the basic Bentley still promises pretty sparkling performance; 0-60 miles per hour in less than five seconds and somewhere around 21 miles per gallon. As with all Bentleys, a myriad of slight visual changes ranging from red Bentley badging and a black grille will "denote" this model, with probably the most obvious cue being the figure eight-shaped dual exhaust outlets. Further details will follow the coupe and convertible's launch at the upcoming Detroit auto show.