When you think of Bentley, I’m sure most people conjure up ideas of a large, comfortable, refined vehicle. A vehicle that you’ll think is probably more suited to being taken for a drive than to actually drive. It’s built for quiet, comfortable driving right? But how much fun can that be?

Did you know that Bentley has it roots in motorsport? Yes, these elegant beasts of the road first made a name for themselves back in 1924 by winning the infamous Le Mans endurance race. Bentley then continued to dominate Le Mans for a decade also winning in 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. Off the track Bentley liked to stick to its racing pedigree too. In 1930, Mr Woolf Barnato (Bentley’s managing director, 1926-1931) made  a £100 bet that his 6.5 litre Speed Six Saloon could travel from Cannes to London, before the Le Train Bleu could go from Cannes to Calais. Of course, he won. I’m not sure this would be possible today with the amount  of traffic and speed cameras on the roads, but I’d be more than happy to find out if ever given the chance.

As with most companies over 100 years old,  it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Bentley has had its fair share of problems. First being sold to  Rolls-Royce in 1931 and more recently acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1998. However, Bentleys have always been made in Crewe, England  and that racing heritage is still there. After all,  a leopard never changes its spots.

Today’s W12 Bentley Continental GT is as most have come to expect from a Bentley car.  It does have an incredibly quiet cabin, it does have a remarkably smooth ride, and it is very nice to be driven around in. But, if opportunity allows, I’d highly recommend getting behind the wheel and driving this incredible machine around yourself.

Outside this car looks mean. It has a beautiful muscular body, stunning 21 or 22 inch rims,  a large and aggressive grill and some fat tail pipes that ooze speed and racing pedigree.

The 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine producing 626bhp is a work of art. It’ll get you from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds. A dual clutch transmission provides quick smooth acceleration. This engine is also 24 per cent shorter than the equivalent V12 which helps with weight distribution. Add to this a new Active All-Wheel-Drive System that varies the front to rear torque depending on how you’re driving. This is what you’d expect from a sports car. Not a dull luxury cruiser.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to convince you that a Bentley isn’t a luxury cruiser. It’s still one of the most refined and luxurious cars I’ve ever had the pleasure to drive. I’d even go as far to say that it’s out done Aston Martin with the infotainment system (which does feature Apple CarPlay, in case you’re wondering). It may well be the little child inside of me, but it’s just incredible stylish and James Bond-esque the way the screen rotates into view when you turn on the car. If only it was possibly to add a rotation of the screen that had buttons for guns, rockets, ejector seat, oil slick and a turbo boost (all just for show, of course), that alone would likely be worth the purchase for me.

Bentley does have its Mulliner workshop that allows for numerous bespoke requests for your Bentley. For instance, you can get your Bentley Continental GT with 22” lightweight forged allow wheels and unique diamond-in-diamond quilting and a jewelled-finish fuel filler. Maybe they could make my ‘James Bond’ infotainment system a reality (for a price, I’m sure).

Speaking of innovative tech, the Bentley Continental GT W12 also features an all new air suspension system coupled with the latest generation Continuous Damping Control (CDC). This car will never be a boring smooth comfortable ride, it has gigantic rims! However, on its softest setting it allows up to 60 per cent more air volume than the previous model.  I’ll admit this setting wasn’t for me, as I’ve always liked stiffer, sportier suspension, but this air suspensions system did much to impress me.

Dubai roads are great, but as with most large cities there are always some roadworks or construction happening somewhere around town. Which means you’ll come across some road diversions from time to time. I’ve driven numerous cars on roads undergoing roadworks and most of them struggle at anything above 40km/h. The road is just too bumpy. I even dread tackling such roads in a VW Golf R. But the Bentley is, well, pretty impressive. I’m not saying you feel no bumps, as the particular stretch of road I drive along is very bumpy, but having driven the same road in various other cars, I can confirm that Bentley is, by far, the smoothest and most comfortable I’ve ever been. Inside the Bentley, the road felt a little uneven but certainly not the rollercoaster it usually is in other cars. I also had the car in the sportiest/ hardest suspension setting, giving truly impressive performance and ride comfort.

Space-wise, for a larger car, I will say that it’s lacking a bit of space. The back seats are functional, however, if you’re going on a grand tour, I wouldn’t want to be wedged back there for too long. The boot/trunk is an ok size, unless you bring the spare wheel with you.  It’s rather cumbersome and doesn’t leave a lot of room for your weekend bag. The car also only has two doors, which some people may find  a hindrance, as I too prefer my cars with four doors. These gripes are pretty much all the bad I have to say about the latest incarnation of the Bentley Continental GT. It’s a truly luxurious car that has a racing pedigree at its heart.  This Bentley manages to merge the two worlds effortlessly and is sure to put a smile on your face no matter your driving style.