Twenty-One Laps for Twenty Years—A World Tour Honoring the Continental GT.
With the arrival in Crewe of the specially-made 20th anniversary baton, a unique global relay commemorating 20 years of the Continental GT has come to an end. As part of its globe tour, the baton visited 20 journalists and content creators over the course of 20 unforgettable drives, one for each year of Continental GT production. The tour stopped in Europe, the Middle East, China, Asia Pacific, the US, and the UK.
A turning point in Bentley Motors' history came with the 2003 introduction of the first-generation Continental GT. The Continental GT, the first modern-era all-new Bentley, was instrumental in elevating the brand to its present position as the most coveted luxury automobile manufacturer on the planet. It was also the first to include all-wheel drive and the groundbreaking W12 engine.
Developed at the Crewe design lab, the 20th anniversary baton's design was fine-tuned to the same extent as any aspect of a production model. The baton has an interesting asymmetrical twist, similar to a propeller blade, and is finished in Cypress Green, the same exterior paint as the first-ever production Continental GT. The interior of the baton, where the scroll is held, may be accessed through a knurled cap modelled after the driving mode selection on the Continental GT.
Head of Bentley Design Collaborations, Chris Cooke, takes a deep dive into the details: “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.” In the subtlest of touches, each profile also lines up perfectly with its corresponding line on the cap graphic.
Continental GT Baton Pass
At the end of a very important year in Bentley's history, the 20th anniversary baton will join the first Continental GT at the Heritage Garage.
The first-generation Continental GT, which debuted in 2003, was remarkable for its exceptional workmanship, supercar performance, and breathtaking beauty. With a peak speed of more than 190 mph (300 km/h) and a 0–60 mph time of 4.7 seconds (0–100 km/h in 4.8 seconds), it was celebrated as the world's fastest authentic four-seat coupé. Being the first of its kind in its pricing range, the Continental GT sparked a new industry and went viral throughout the world.
Award after award has been showered upon the Continental GT and its stablemate, the Continental GTC, now in their third generation. Remarkably, the 2023 Car of the Year, the Continental GT V8 S, replaces the esteemed 2022 winner, the Continental GT Speed, in the prestigious Robb Report category. In February 2023, the Continental GT continued its winning streak at the Auto Motor und Sport awards, this time taking home the trophy for the luxury class import category. The poll included over 101,000 readers.
During the six-month celebration of the Continental GT family's 20th anniversary, Bentley held a number of events and unveiled a limited-edition Continental GT S at the Shanghai Motor Show in April. This vehicle, which was finished in Magnetic dark grey metallic, has bespoke Mulliner elements such as commemorative badging, inlays, and a design motif celebrating 20 years of the brand. The motif consisted of the first- and third-generation Continental GT outlines superimposed on top of each other.
Additionally, Bentley's formidable 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 engine, which has propelled the company to worldwide prominence for the last two decades, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2023. 750PS special edition Batur by Mulliner, a customised Continental GTC Speed, and the Continental GT Le Mans Collection were among the W12-powered Bentleys on display at July's Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Mulliner unveiled yet another unique Continental GT Speed across the Atlantic at August's Monterey Car Week. It was shown next to the first production Continental GT from 2003 (VIN 200001), which served as inspiration for its Cypress Green paint job, Saddle leather upholstery, and Burr Walnut veneer.
As the 20th anniversary baton made its way around the globe, twenty invited guest drivers got behind the wheel of various Continental GT models. After their turn behind the wheel came to an end, they each signed the scroll to commemorate their own voyage before handing it on to the next person.
