Entering a sharp corner speaks volumes about the Continental GT. Don’t think its new V8 moniker brings with it a roll cage and bucket seats. Impressive as the figures are for the GT – 0-100kph in 4.8s and a 303kph top speed – let’s not forget that this is a big, luxurious coupe, and as such weighs quite a bit. Enter a corner, let’s say, over-ambitiously and that knowledge becomes clear, even with the suspension and steering ferocity taps turned to full.
However, exiting the same corner speaks with equal volume. The engine is beautifully engineered, and thanks to a very responsive eight-speed gearbox, power is delivered smoothly, efficiently and – most importantly – quickly. Any semblance of understeer I may have had going into the corner is quickly offset with plentiful amounts of right boot and lit rear wheels, the All Wheel Drive system providing plenty of traction.
So far, so confusing then. At the ragged edge the GT V8 loses some of its bottle, but at warm-up pace, the luxurious cruiser is a potential sporty weapon. But then, who’s content to drive on-track at less than 100%?
The next leg of my journey involves taking the Continental (the GTC this time) for a spin on the winding mass of Spanish B-roads. But since we’re still waiting for members of our group to finish their track work, I’ve got a few minutes to enjoy the view.
