Exploring the luxurious side of the Costa del Sol in Bentley’s latest convertible

Marbella might be synonymous with Brits abroad, package holidays and pubs that are about as Spanish as a Full English Breakfast, the sheer wealth that the area attracts is staggering. Walk the streets and it soon becomes apparent that the most popular family car is a Porsche Cayenne and a Ferrari 812 is popular golf club transportation.

With over 300 days of sunshine a year, it is no surprise that the number of convertibles on display beats anything we’d experience here in the UK too, with Marbella’s Puerto Banus marina area doubling up as a catwalk for supercar owners to show off their drop-top rides. Although one to typically play on its classy credentials, Bentley has chosen the area to launch the drop-top version of its all-new Continental and perhaps to appease (or attract) the locals, it has elected a number of eye-popping colour and specs. The dazzling Orange Flame paint certainly looks the part.

“The biggest challenge when designing this new Continental was fusing luxury, performance and Bentley heritage, while making it look modern,” explains Bentley’s chief designer Stefan Sielaff. “You can find lots of modern interpretations of classic Bentley character lines in new Continental GT. They exist in in the side the power Line and the haunch and these remain in the convertible. But it is lower, more purposeful and cleaner,” he adds.

It’s a beautiful thing to behold and with the reassuringly expensive key in my pocket, I point the W12 bruiser towards the Sierra Morena and embark on an epic road trip that will take in some of Andalusia’s finest roads before winding up in Seville.

With the hustle, bustle and questionable taste in shirts of Marbella behind us, we are quickly on to the famous Ronda Road, which snakes and twists its way up the hillside towards the tiny village and the Ascari race circuit. This is a well-trodden route for any motoring journalist but the tight curves and sheer drops are better suited to much smaller and lighter vehicles. A powerful hot hatch is hilarious around here. A big Bentley isn’t so much fun.

But with all settings left in Bentley’s standard modes, the British marque’s Continuous Damping Control (CDC), which constantly adjusts the damper forces to optimise comfort, does a superb job of providing a serene and relaxing ride, even on these enormous 22-inch five-spoke alloy wheels.

Leave the roof up, and wind and road roar is pretty much banished from the cabin thanks to a fancy new fabric construction. Bentley claims that this new convertible is actually quieter than the outgoing Coupe with its roof intact and we’d find it hard to disagree.

But this is the Ronda Road, so it’s time to spin the drive selector mode to Sport and sample the gut-busting power of the 635hp W12 engine that lurks beneath the bonnet. Despite the fact that the convertible body-in-white is now 20 per cent lighter and five per cent stiffer, the Bentley GTC still feels like a heavy car to throw into the corner, but it grips and handles better than ever before.

Floor the throttle and there’s a deep, guttural grumble from the tailpipes, the 0-62mph dash dispatched in just 3.8 second and it can go on to a maximum top speed of 207mph. For the sake of a clean license, I didn’t get anywhere near that figure, but wind buffeting is carefully controlled at very high speeds thanks to a simple wind deflector in the rear and some clever aerodynamic design.

This is definitely the best driving Bentley Continental GT in its history and the convertible version is just as accomplished as its Coupe brethren. Even on these technical roads, the big bruiser manages to feel lighter and keener to attack corners.

A quick scan of the £222,960 vehicle’s specification sheet reveals that a staggering £47,860 has been spent on options on this particular car, including a cool £5,000 on the Bang & Olufsen sound system, £3,200 on blacking out the chrome exterior chintz and £4,700 on the Bentley Rotating Display. The latter is absolutely essential for anyone thinking of placing a deposit (lucky you), as the clever veneer spins to hide the infotainment screen, revealing three gorgeously appointed clock faces or perfectly book-matched wood for the ultimate in dashboard cleanliness.

In short, the interior is a sublimely comfortable and exquisitely finished place to while away the miles, with multi-zone seat warmers and a new and improved neck-warming system making convertible motoring comfortable, no matter the weather. The next stretch of blacktop speeds around the Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park and towards some brilliantly sweeping, clearly sighted corners that compliment the GTC’s abilities.

Push the car too hard and interior occupants know about it. The sheer weight of the thing means it can never ape the most athletic performance cars on the market, but ease back slightly and it’s possible to cover great distances rapidly and in great comfort. The gigantic W12 engine burbles and bellows every time the throttle is lifted and this final stretch of flowing roads towards our final stop at the boutique hotel Casa Vesta is by far the most enjoyable yet. The scenery is stunning and the open-top driving experience heightens the senses.

Powerful, understated and elegant, this is by far the most accomplished generation of Bentley Continental yet and this convertible version doesn’t let the side down. Expect see many of these parked in the golf clubs of Marbs in the years to come.

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