The Bentley Continental turns 20 this year and while there’s an updated model currently under development, we don’t expect to see its debut before the second half of the 2023. To celebrate the grand tourer’s anniversary, however, the automaker unveils a one-off Continental GT S during the Shanghai Auto Show featuring several Mulliner tweaks.
Even at a first glance, this Conti GT is quite special. The exterior is finished in Magnetic dark grey metallic color and the vehicle sits on black chrome 22-inch wheels with a 10-spoke design hiding red brake calipers. A similar black-and-red color scheme can be also found inside the cabin with Beluga and Hotspur leather over piano black accents.
Gallery: Bentley Continental GT S one-off
The cabin also gets laser-etched overlay marking this Conti GT as an anniversary one-off celebrating the model’s 20th anniversary. Probably the most recognizable touch could be the thin red stripe that visually separates the dashboard from door to door. Another very interesting design feature is the treadplate on the right side, which shows a first-gen Continental GT and a third-generation model, representing 20 years of the grand tourer from the United Kingdom.
Speaking of the original model, it was launched back in 2003 as the first new Bentley in the modern era and the first Bentley with an all-wheel drive. It was also to first to be equipped with a W12 engine, which made it one of the fastest four-seat vehicles in the world at the time of its market release with a 0-60 miles per hour time of 4.7 seconds.
This one-off Continental GT S is just a small portion of all the celebrations the automaker plans for this year. In the coming weeks, for example, two hubs – one at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe and one in Geneva – will host drives of different Continental models, including first- and second-gen cars from the Bentley Heritage collection. During the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July this year, the luxury brand will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the W12, which was introduced with the first Continental GT.
