You’re sitting in a seat that took several cows to make. It’s quiet. Not just "modern car" quiet, but the kind of silence that feels heavy, like you’re underwater or in a bank vault. Then you press the button. The 2020 Bentley Continental GT doesn’t scream to life like a nervous Italian supercar; it clears its throat with a low, gravelly hum that vibrates through the soles of your shoes. Honestly, it’s a bit intimidating at first. You’ve got over 5,000 pounds of British steel and leather wrapped around a massive engine, and yet, the second you pull away, the weight just... vanishes. It’s physics-defying.
Most people see a Bentley and think "old money" or "retired corporate raider." They aren’t entirely wrong, but the 2020 model year was a turning point. This was the year the Continental GT finally shed its reputation for being a heavy, slightly clumsy cruiser and became a legitimate driver's car. It’s the sweet spot. You get the updated MSB platform shared with the Porsche Panamera, but you still have that raw, mechanical soul that feels increasingly rare as we move toward everything being a "computer on wheels."
The W12 vs. V8 Debate: What Most People Get Wrong
If you’re looking at a 2020 Bentley Continental GT, the first thing you’re going to grapple with is the engine choice. There’s a common misconception that the W12 is the "better" car because it’s more expensive and has more cylinders. That’s a trap.
The 6.0-liter W12 is a masterpiece of engineering. It’s basically two narrow-angle V6 engines joined at the hip. It produces 626 horsepower and a staggering 664 lb-ft of torque. It’s relentless. If you want to go 207 mph across the German Autobahn while your passenger sips sparkling water without spilling a drop, get the W12. It’s about effortless, infinite-feeling power. But there is a catch. That engine is heavy. It sits right over the front axle, and you can feel it when you try to toss the car into a tight corner.
Then there’s the V8. For 2020, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 became the "enthusiast's choice." It "only" makes 542 horsepower, but it’s significantly lighter. Because there’s less weight in the nose, the V8 feels nimble. It’s snappy. It actually wants to turn. Plus, the V8 has a growl—a proper, burly exhaust note—whereas the W12 sounds more like a private jet taking off. Honestly, if you actually enjoy driving on winding backroads rather than just cruising to a golf club, the V8 is the one you want. It changes the entire character of the car from a luxury barge to a genuine sports tourer.
Inside the Cabin: Why 2020 Was the Peak
Bentley’s interior design is basically the antithesis of a Tesla. Where a Tesla is a cold, empty room with a giant tablet, the 2020 Bentley Continental GT is a masterclass in tactile feedback. You’ve got real metal organ-stop vent pulls. The knurling on the dials feels like the grip of a high-end Swiss watch.
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The party piece, of course, is the Bentley Rotating Display. It’s a three-sided unit in the middle of the dashboard. When the car is off, you see nothing but a smooth veneer of wood. Start it up, and it flips to reveal a 12.3-inch touchscreen. If you’re feeling "digital fatigue," you press a button, and it flips again to show three analog gauges: outside temperature, a compass, and a chronometer. It’s a $6,000+ option that almost every buyer checked the box for, and frankly, the car feels incomplete without it. It represents that 2020 philosophy: technology is there if you want it, but it shouldn't be the star of the show.
The leather deserves its own paragraph. Bentley uses hides from bulls raised in high-altitude regions of Northern Europe. Why? Because there are fewer insects, which means fewer blemishes on the skin. It sounds like overkill because it is. But when you run your hand across the "Diamond-in-Diamond" quilting—which uses exactly 712 stitches per diamond—you realize you aren't just paying for a badge. You’re paying for 100 hours of hand-assembly time.
Performance Reality Check
Don't let the luxury fool you. Underneath all that wood and leather is an incredibly sophisticated chassis. The 2020 Continental GT uses a 48-volt active roll control system. Basically, there are electric motors on the anti-roll bars that can stiffen or loosen in milliseconds.
If you’re cruising, the car is soft and compliant. It soaks up potholes like they don't exist. But the moment you flick it into "Sport" mode and throw it into a bend, the motors tighten the suspension to keep the car perfectly flat. It’s an eerie sensation. You expect a car this big to lean like a boat, but it stays level.
The dual-clutch eight-speed transmission was another big change for this generation. Previous Bentleys used traditional torque-converter automatics which were smooth but a bit lazy. The 2020’s DCT (sourced from the Porsche PDK family) is lightning fast. It can swap gears in a fraction of a second, which makes the car feel much more urgent when you’re "on it."
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Common Issues and The "Bentley Tax"
Buying a 2020 Bentley Continental GT today on the used market requires some bravery. These aren't Toyotas. While the reliability of the MSB platform is lightyears ahead of the older models from the early 2000s, you still have to deal with the "Bentley Tax."
An oil change isn't $80 at a Jiffy Lube; it's more like $500 to $800 at a specialist. Brakes? A full set of rotors and pads can easily north of $3,000. And heaven forbid a sensor goes out in that 48-volt suspension system.
One thing to watch out for on 2020 models is the infotainment software. Early versions of this generation had some glitches where the rotating display would get "stuck" or the Apple CarPlay would disconnect randomly. Most of these were fixed with dealer software flashes, so if you're shopping for one, make sure the service records show those updates were performed. Also, check the battery. These cars have dozens of ECUs that stay active even when the car is off. If it sits for more than two weeks without a trickle charger, the battery will die, and a dead battery in a Bentley can trigger a Christmas tree of warning lights that require a professional scanner to reset.
Why 2020 is Better Than 2024 or 2025
You might be wondering why you wouldn't just buy a newer one. As we move into 2025 and 2026, Bentley is leaning hard into hybridization. The roar of the pure combustion engine is being replaced by the silent hum of electric motors. While the new hybrids are technically faster, they lose some of that mechanical "thump."
The 2020 model represents the pinnacle of the "pure" Continental GT. It’s modern enough to have a great screen and safety tech, but it’s old enough to have a soul that isn't filtered through an electric motor. It’s a dinosaur, but it’s a dinosaur that can outrun a Porsche 911 while giving you a hot stone massage.
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Actionable Steps for Potential Buyers
If you’re serious about putting a 2020 Bentley Continental GT in your garage, do not buy the first one you see at a generic "luxury" wholesale lot. These cars are sensitive to how they were treated in their first few years.
First, verify the Bentley Enthusiasts' Club or official dealer service history. A Bentley with a "gap" in its service history is a ticking time bomb. Even if it only did 1,000 miles that year, the oil needs to be changed and the systems checked.
Second, prioritize the "Mulliner Driving Specification." This package adds the 22-inch wheels, the quilted leather, and the jeweled fuel filler cap. Without it, the resale value is significantly lower, and the interior feels surprisingly plain for a car of this caliber.
Third, get a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) from a technician with a Bentley-specific diagnostic tool. A standard OBD-II scanner won't see the fault codes in the active suspension or the complex W12 cooling system.
Finally, set aside a "rainy day" fund of at least $5,000. Even a perfect Bentley will occasionally need something expensive. If you can't stomach a $2,000 bill for a minor sensor, this isn't the car for you. But if you can, there is nothing else on the road that makes you feel quite as special every time you get behind the wheel. It’s not just a car; it’s an event. Every. Single. Time.
Check the tire tread depth specifically on the inner edges. Because of the weight and the suspension geometry, these cars can "eat" the insides of their front tires while the outer tread looks brand new. Replacing a set of 22-inch Pirelli P-Zeros isn't cheap, so use that as a negotiating point if they're worn.
Buying a 2020 Bentley Continental GT is a move of passion over logic. It's a statement that you still value the roar of twelve (or eight) cylinders and the smell of real wood over the sanitized, silent future of motoring. It's a heavy, beautiful, fast, and complicated machine that demands respect and a very large parking space.