The standard Continental GT cabin, with its fine balance of digital and physical controls, is stunningly opulent – even more so if you opt for the panoramic roof. In fact, without the Dinamica trim of the Speed, it is arguably an even more compelling, elegant luxury space.
As ever, you can split the hide colours, merging the entire rear portion of the cabin, including the rear seats, in with the front doorcards, with a contrasting colour for front chairs so indulgently sculpted they border on the soporific. Altering the focus in this way makes the Continental GT feel even more debonair.
For those who need the last word in deco-era chic, there’s also the Azure, which sits between the basic car and the more powerful Speed and is recognisable by its neo-classical wheels, its more prominent exterior brightwork and vertical grille slats (a look not all will love). There’s also a striking, parquet-style transmission-tunnel lacquered trim.
The character of your Continental GT is going to be dictacted by the tone of the leather and your chosen veneers, of which there are many. There are technical finishes such as turned aluminium, carbonfibre and even, for the horlogically inclined, a Côtes de Genève finish, as well as the usual suspect: burr walnut, dark eucalyptus and plenty of painted gloss options.
As for ergonomics, the Continental GT is never going set you as low to the road – or position with the same degree or intent – as something like an Aston Martin Vanquish or Ferrari 12Cilinidri, but it isn’t intended to directly challenge those cars. The view forward is more commanding and relaxing and generally easier to get along with. A thousand miles in a day in a Continental GT is no hardship at all (and your scribe should know).
Drawbacks? Taller drivers will pine a just a little more reach in the steering column, although strangely none of the current batch of super-GT get this quite right. Elsewhere, the boot has shrunk, on account of the new hybrid hardware. It’s now notably shallower, although for two people the Continental GT can still hardly be accused of being tight on luggage space.
