For as many times as the Bentley company has been bought, sold, merged with, acquired, and spun off, you would think it was a stack of comic books rather than the heritage brand of luxury and performance vehicles known and loved worldwide. Bentley spent several years in bed with fellow luxury brand Rolls-Royce before finally making a successful go of things outside of the shadow of its well-known frenemy.

In 1998 Bentley and Rolls-Royce were in the “on-again” stage of their relationship, as evidenced by the engine inside the Bentley Continental T: A bold, beefy 412 V8 generating 420 hp. The car is big and long but moves effortlessly. Many lighter performance cars have been left in the dust by Bentley owners who were willing to step on the accelerator and see where things go. The key to Bentley’s success was returning to its performance heritage, After all, many people forgot – or never realized – Bentley is a five-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

The Continental T is a two-door coupe with the front end of a luxury land yacht, and the back end of a muscle car. The vehicle looks absolutely at home alongside the other high-dollar cars near the valet station. But it’s also ready to humble anyone who doubts its performance specs on the street or at the track.

Inside the Continental T is a seemingly endless supply of leather and wood, beautifully showcasing the large array of analog instrument. Visions of an airplane cockpit come to mind. The bespoke upholstery covers modern and supportive seats, front and back.

Smooth but not sleepy. Refined but not afraid to get its gears going. Luxe, but not overly cushy. It’s like sitting in First Class while flying a fighter jet. It will take you anywhere you’d like, as fast as you choose to go, while riding in style the entire