Used Bentley Continental GTC for sale: everything you need to know

Sometimes you just can’t beat the sensation of driving with the top down. Bentley knows this and has offered convertible variants of many of its past models, including the last Continental GT, which introduced the Continental GTC between 2011 and 2018. The latest GTC arrived in 2019.

It’s every bit as imposing, opulent, powerful, and beautifully trimmed and detailed as the GT coupe, but allows you to drop the roof at the touch of a button. On a sunny day, motoring experiences come little finer, and that finery can be experienced for usefully less outlay if buying a GTC pre-owned.

Almost all of the Continental GT’s coupe rivals have convertible models that go head-to-head with the GTC, and others you might consider - with varying levels of sporting ability and luxury - include the Ferrari Portofino and Roma Spider, Aston Martin DB11 and DB12 Volante, and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet.

Should you buy a Bentley Continental GTC?

The Bentley Continental GT is one of the best grand tourers that money can buy, and that status - and the qualities the car offers - are unchanged in convertible GTC form. It still looks and feels magnificent, seems largely uncompromised by its folding roof, and offers the kind of fair-weather driving experience that only an open-topped car can.

There’s one thing buying a Continental GTC used cannot give you, and that’s the satisfaction of poring through Bentley’s enormous range of personalisation options to really tailor the car to your own perfect specification. But it’s not all bad, as you get to enjoy the same car as the first owner for considerably less money.

The GTC offers huge performance whether in V8 or W12 form. The V8 is the better balanced car to drive, while the W12 gives you a truly effortless shove in the back and the refinement and sense of satisfaction that only a twelve-cylinder car can.

Satisfying too is the GTC’s interior - and with the roof down, it’s even easier to appreciate the efforts Bentley has gone to with materials, fit and finish and design inside the car. Roof up, you’d be hard pressed to tell there wasn’t a fixed metal structure above you, so well soundproofed is the experience. Space in the rear seats is cosy, and windier than in the front, but that extra pair of seats does add scope that some two-seat rivals can’t offer.

There are a wide choice of alternatives, from the Ferrari Portofino and more recent Ferrari Roma Spider, to another opulent British open-topped GT, the Aston Martin DB11 (and more recently, the DB12) Volante. On the more luxurious side, albeit without the Bentley’s charm, is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet. All deeply desirable cars, but the Bentley definitely hits the sweet spot between luxury and driver appeal.

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What’s the best used Bentley Continental GTC model to buy?

The V8 should be all the Bentley Continental GTC you’ll ever need. It’s hugely powerful and torquey, makes a great noise when really leaning into the throttle (but is otherwise refined and hushed in true luxury car fashion), and is more than up to the job of hauling well over two tonnes of car down the road. The only thing it can’t do is give you that extra spark of satisfaction that comes from having twelve cylinders at your disposal; if you thrive on that, then the W12 is the only way to go.

Likewise, there’s very little any of the other GTCs can do that the regular model cannot, but Bentley offers Azure, Speed, Mulliner, and other variants precisely for the extra personalisation and choice they allow. Buying pre-owned you of course have to settle for the original owner’s specification, but we’d advise simply buying the one closest to your personal tastes.

Used Bentley Continental GTC fuel economy and performance

• Bentley Continental GTC 4.0 V8: As the name suggests, the Continental GTC range starts with a 4-litre, twin turbocharged petrol V8, making 542PS. The standard gearbox is an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive is also standard. Bentley claims 0-62mph in 4.1 seconds, and 22.6mpg combined economy.
• Bentley Continental GTC 6.0 W12: An extra two litres of capacity and four cylinders give the W12-engined Continental GTC a 650PS output and 3.7-second 0-62mph time, while economy tumbles to an even 20mpg combined.

What used Bentley Continental GTC trim levels are available?

The Continental GTC is available in a wide range of trim lines, with a comprehensive level of equipment even in standard form and differentiated further with unique details, wheel designs, and equipment the further you go up the range. Bentley’s expansive personalisation options and several optional equipment packages mean there are thousands of possible combinations though, so it’s unlikely any two GTCs will be exactly alike.

• The Bentley Continental GTC gets 21-inch alloy wheels, air suspension, seven exterior colour options, power door and boot latching, matrix LED headlights, Nappa leather trim, 12-way electric front seats, walnut veneer inlays, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen.
• The Bentley Continental GTC A features a different 21-inch wheel design, polished chrome vertical vanes in the grille, 24-way adjustable seats, open pore walnut trim, and ‘A’ badges both inside and out.
• The Bentley Continental GTC Azure upgrades to 22-inch machined finish alloy wheels, Azure badging inside and out, ‘jewel’ finish oil and fuel filler caps, 16 exterior colour options, and a head-up display.
• The Bentley Continental GTC S has a 22-inch sports wheel design, dark tinted headlights and tail lights, red painted brake calipers, exterior details inspired by the GTC Speed, quad black-tipped tailpipes, and ‘S’ badging and details.
• The Bentley Continental GTC Speed features 22-inch forged wheels, dark-tinted exterior detailing, and Speed badging.
• The Bentley Continental GTC Mulliner has a unique Mulliner front grille, 22-inch ten-spoke Mulliner wheels, satin silver mirror caps, self-levelling wheel badges, and hand-stitched quilting on the roof tonneau cover.

Used Bentley Continental GTC dimensions and boot size

The Bentley Continental GTC’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4850mm
• Width: 2187mm (with mirrors)
• Height: 1399mm

The Bentley Continental GTC’s boot size is:

• 235 litres

Used Bentley Continental GTC road tax

No surprises here; the Continental GT goes right into the most expensive tax class, attracting a surcharge for being (significantly) over £40,000 and otherwise conforming to the VED band for petrol vehicles. That currently means a £570 yearly bill, dropping to a lower sum from the seventh year of registration onwards.

How much is it to insure a Bentley Continental GTC?

Bentley doesn’t list insurance group figures for the Continental GTC but it’s likely that all models will sit in the maximum group 50, due to their expense and performance. Insurance should therefore be reassuringly expensive, as one beer brand puts it, and on a similar level to the GTC’s similarly upscale rivals.

Read our full Bentley Continental GTC review