The Bentley Continental GT has managed to be a true grand tourer, without compromising its sports car-like aptitude for speed.

This may seem like a difficult feat, but, perhaps, a little history lesson might be illuminating. The original Continental GT was a triumph for Bentley. Launched some 15 years ago, the car soon became the conveyance of choice for soccer players and the more ostentatious brand of muso. The first Bentley to use production line techniques in its manufacture, it sold like spittle guards at Trump rally.

As with the car it replaces, this new Continental is large, luxurious and expensive. At 2,244kg, it is heavy enough crush any imperfections on the road surface, although its sophisticated computer-controlled air suspension allows it to simply glide over the majority of highway hickeys.

At 4.8 metres long and 2.2 wide, there’s little chance of stealing a Smart Car’s parking space. There’s also ample boot space for a good fortnight’s worth of luggage.

As well as being spacious enough, the interior is every bit as luxurious as the Bentley name entails. Indeed, its leather seats are so soft it may transpire that only the finest-quilted cattle contributed to their coverings.

The Continental’s interior is also exceptionally functional. The control interfaces are pleasingly chunky, moving with the kind of easy action that suggests that years of faultless operation lie ahead.

While upholding the values of time-served craftsmanship, the Continental’s cabin is far from old fashioned. Mounted on a three-faced tumbler, a large section of dashboard rotates to reveal blank facia, a trio of traditional dials or a 312mm touchscreen, displaying the driver’s choice of satellite navigation, climate conditions or Netflix catch-up.

On the move, the Continental is, indeed, a sumptuously smooth means of conveyance, with its air suspension suppressing any jolt occasioned by an unavoidable spot of tarmac turbulence.

The merest prod of the accelerator can shake up things a bit though. Fitted with a 6-litre twin turbo W12 engine – capable of producing 467Kw – as standard, this Continental can get very loud and very fast very, very quickly.

Any such acceleration is accompanied by a satisfying roar as the 12 cylinders and the two turbo-chargers kick in. Overall, this brief sound surge is about the only giveaway that the engine is, indeed, turbo-charged, with little or no lag between any change in throttle position and the engine’s powerful response,.

From a standing start, this big Bentley can crack 100kph in just 3.7 seconds. With a maximum velocity of 333kph, the acceleration just never seems to diminish, still pulling strongly at the speedo glides past the 200kph mark.

It’s hard to believe that any aspect of this car could be more impressive than its 467Kw engine. Until, that is, you stamp on the brake pedal. The violence of the subsequent deceleration is literally breath-taking, with the lungs squeezed of air as they’re hurled against the seat belt.

While the new Bentley Continental GT is just too truly massive to keep up with a genuinely lightweight sportster through all that really twisty stuff, it’s a more capable sports package than that offered by almost any other GT car – and all without giving up any of the genuine comfort the grand tourer name truly demands.

Bentley Continental GT from around HK$1.7m
Engine: 6.0 litre twin turbo W12
Power: 467 Kw
Torque: 900 Nm
Transmission: 8-speed dual clutch automatic through all-wheel drive
0-100kph: 3.7s
Top speed: 333kph