DRIVETIME
button the Bentley is poised, planted and surprisingly responsive for such a big car. The ride is smooth, silent and supple but the GT's orb-like wheels and low profile rubber might be susceptible to hideously expensive damage on Australian roads. On the inside, there's more leather
in the GT's cabin than in the Northern Territory. Even the door bins are lined with it. You sink into the supremely comfortable Cobra driver's seat, supported by the world's longest cushion, and face a twin cockpit dash – swathed in UV-stabilised timber veneers – which has been restyled to evoke the flying wings of the Bentley motif. There's a mix of old and new design but it all comes
together with that wonderful sense of occasion that only the best luxury cars give you whenever you open the door. Olde-worlde organ-stop vent controls sit beside the latest touch-screen technology, with Bluetooth, satellite navigation and a superb sound system. It's not all fabulous, though. The gear lever is poorly positioned for shifting gears, though you do get a pair of aluminium alloy paddles on the wheel for this purpose. And the two-person rear seat has less room than in a Toyota Corolla. But really, who wants to be back there
anyway? The Bentley is beautifully made, exclusive and, on a long, fast, open road, a pleasure to drive. It's a true GT.
100 www.travelandliving.com.au
