Bentley Motors has unveiled two new derivatives of the third-gen Continental GT. Dubbed as the GT V8 and GT V8 Convertible, they take the count of Continental GT variants up from two to four. As their names suggest, they are powered by a V8 engine which is more environmentally-friendly and less intoxicating than the mammoth W12.

Since we’ve already touched upon the powertrain, let’s start the unravelling process from under the bonnet. The 4.0-litre V8 is boosted by two turbochargers, both of which reside within the V of the engine. The result is 550PS of power and 770Nm of torque. The power-plant comes mated to an 8-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission which feeds the oomph to all four wheels. Performance? While both GT V8 derivatives can hit 318kmph at full stretch, their 0-100kmph sprint times differ by just a tenth of a second (4 seconds for the GT V8 and 4.1 for the Convertible).

The GT V8 siblings also come with clever touches such as cylinder deactivation technology. Depending on the situation, the grand tourer can shut half of its cylinders off. The shutting-off process takes just 20 milliseconds and, as per Bentley, the driving spirit of the GT V8 remains intact even with half of its cylinders asleep.

Needless to say, the GT V8 models come stuffed with features. The list includes 20-inch alloy wheels, which can be optionally upgraded to 22-inch rims, LED Matrix headlamps, 22-way power-adjustable leather seats, a 10-speaker, 650-watt sound system and a fully-digital instrument cluster. Obviously, there are a bunch of options available from the veneer of the dashboard to the upholstery of the cabin.

The main differentiating feature between the newly introduced variants is the ability of the GT V8 Convertible to lose its roof and offer unlimited headroom. The soft-top roof, which can be optionally finished in seven different fabrics, can be operated in just 19 seconds at speeds of up to 50kmph. Bentley has also taken the pain to inject a newly designed neck-warmer which is not only quieter than before but also warmer.

Both Bentley Continental GT V8 iterations come with multiple driving modes, rear-biased all-wheel-drive system and lightweight anti-roll bars. As an optional extra, the GT V8 is also available with Bentley’s Ride System. Being a modern-day Bentley, the GT V8 also comes with various driver assistance systems such as Active Lane Assist, Traffic Assist and Park Assist.

So, there you have it. India will have to wait until next year to get V8-powered Continental GTs. The duo will go on sale in the US later this year, followed by the rest of the markets from early 2020.