There are indelible moments in the life of an automotive journalist; one such took place on the Hutchinson Parkway, behind the handmade wheel of the new Bentley convertible.

The ‘Hutch’ is a tight and twisty autobahn-like fourlaner, carving through the hilly New York and Connecticut countryside. It was around midnight, and most of the weekend NYC escape artists were long gone to the Hamptons and Berkshires. Though mid-October, it was still warm enough that with the six-position seat heaters set to ‘nuclear’ my lucky companion and I could leave the seemingly soundproof and thoroughly insulated top dropped and enjoy the stars, while feeling like celebrities ourselves.

The roofless structure the GTC seemed as rigid as the regular Conti coupe, and the tweaks to suspension and steering settings for ’08 meant that the big Winged B had no trouble handling the whoops and swoops of the amusement park-like ride. The oaks and spruce trees that defined our trajectory showed off their brilliant fall colors in flashes of xenon brilliance, and the low-lying mist lent a pearly opalescence to the light of oncoming drivers’ vehicles. It was a captivatingly elemental experience, spearing through the night in that GTC, and I’ll treasure it as a four-wheeled highpoint for a very long time.

Bentley expects this convertible to become the big mover in their continued domination of the six-figure club, and peak experiences aside, it’s hard to argue with that assessment. The GTC is almost as practical a daily driver as its hardtop stablemate, while allowing four to enjoy al fresco motoring glory. It still has a sizeable trunk (since it avoids the fashion for folding-metal roofs), and is secured by all-wheel drive. Despite loosing the fastback coupe profile of its progenitor, it may be even sexier, as its svelte cloth top only emphasizes its well-muscled masses.

It definitely motivates the masses, who seem unfazed (though not unaware) of its sticker price as they approach to ask questions or complement yours truly on his luck in picking out parents, my new record deal, my contract to play some sort of pro sports, or whatever it was that got me ensconced in its luscious, hand made cabin.

A modest freshening for 2008 means all Continentals ride more serenely on their air suspensions, while leveraging their all-wheel drive hardware to create a more neutral and driver-focused experience. They’re still bloody fast as well, running in the fours to sixty and hitting the double-ton (as they say across the pond) given enough road.

Nits are minor: the nav system is still cumbersome and slow, the main control knob and buttons don’t feel anywhere near worth the car’s price, and the steering wheel doesn’t offer enough range of motion. But one press of the accelerator, and all such trivialities are rendered mute as the 553 horses are summoned in a deep-chested, aurally intoxicating rush that leaves the plebes—and any criticisms—far behind.

Price Range: $196,285-225,000+

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