In the GstaadLife garage: Bentley Continental GT

If you don't like to be stared at when you drive your car, then don't buy a Bentley Continental GT. This car will have people simply gawking at you (even here in the valley). And not just kids; grown men. You see them out the corner of your eye trying not to, not wanting to show you that they're impressed. But they can't help it, because this is one impressive vehicle. And so it should be, with an equally impressive price tag of SFr 262,900. As we geared up for this past weekend's test of the Bentley Continental GT in the GstaadLife garage, we wondered to ourselves; can you really feel the difference between a car that costs SFr 150,000 and one costing more than quarter of a million? The answer is a resounding yes, for asides from all the implied swishness of driving a Bentley, it's simply a fine automobile. 560 horses officially carried us from 0 to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds, but we were too busy recovering from the whiplash to notice the stopwatch. But for all the good looks and performance, it’s the interior that really got us going. 

Although VW now owns Bentley we were hard pushed to find any traces of the peoples' car in this leather-clad wood-appointed carriage. Those of you familiar with Audis might catch the whiff of a TT in the dash behind the steering wheel, but otherwise the metal buttons and rims, stitched seams, and excellent graphics on the screens felt like a totally original experience. We even thought to conduct a totally pointless test to see how practical the car was, by successfully transporting couple, childseat with baby, a full-on Quinny pushchair, and a full day’s shopping in Thun in the surprisingly Tardis-like interior. So for all you out there who take pause at the practicality of a Bentley for the two weekends a year you’ll have to transport your grandchildren…GstaadLife says no worries! There’s 4-wheel drive borrowed from Audi's Quattro system, concert-quality audio, phenomenal engine acoustics, a usable keyless entry setup, fast-changing paddle-operated gearbox, etc, etc, etc. We could go on, but you should just call Othmar Pichler directly on +41.79 432 78 33 (or email him at othmar.pichler@pichlergfgag.ch) and arrange to get one for yourself. And once you buy it, you’ll even be able to get it serviced here in valley with Pichler Cars now officially a Bentley dealer. But then that just means you won’t have the excuse to drive down the valley every six months!

Our thanks for Hählen Gstaad for giving us use of the latest Römer childseat. Visit Haehlen Bed & Baby on the left as you leave Gstaad towards Feutersoey/Col du Pillon.