2012 Bentley Continental GT first drive

Mild tweaks for Bentley's luxury standard

Muscat, Oman - The Middle East is an unexpected location for a new car launch. I'm nervous, but excited. It's my first trip to Oman, the oldest independent state in the Arab world. It's on the south-east corner of the Arabian Peninsula, sharing borders with the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. I'm one of 12 journalists from across North America on hand. The only female in the group, but it's not surprising. Men usually outnumber women on automotive press events. But in this area of the world, I'm one of the few female drivers on the road. And since I'm driving an expensive, exotic 2012 Bentley Continental GT coupe, I garner attention from all directions. I don a pink pashmina in place of a burqa out of respect for the local traditions. Covered from head to toe in 30+ degrees, sweat pours down the small of my back. I can't wait to get behind the wheel and crank up the a/c.

The Bentley Continental GT four-seat coupe hit the streets in 2003. And now, a new, second-generation Continental GT coupe builds on the success of its predecessor - it's more powerful, more luxurious, and more aggressive in design. The coupe's shape harkens back to the original. Although wider and shorter, it's not a drastic leap forward in style so it won't alienate loyal fans. It has sharp, crisp edges, chiselled lines and a broad, sculpted stance. Two new colours - Orange flame and Aegean blue - are stunning, as are the standard 20-inch wheels; 21-inch wheels are optional.

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Power and control

The sweeping roads are beautiful in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The desert landscape coupled with the rugged mountainous backdrop is gorgeous - although it looks a little weird on the eight-inch navigation screen, nothing but brown sand surrounding our route. Before 1970, Oman was pretty isolated, with only 40 kilometres of paved road; now, it's a different story. Bustling multi-lane highways and sweeping near-perfect roads intersect. There are no difficult switchbacks.

The Bentley follows the winding roads beautifully, gliding over them with precision, speed and accuracy thanks to a more powerful 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 engine, which pumps out 567 hp and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. A new, more fuel efficient 4.0-litre V8 joins the family in late 2011. A six-speed "Quickshift" automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters is mated to the engine. The suspension is excellent; the steering is tight. And the road noise non-existent thanks to sound-deadening materials such as extra insulation and special glass.

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The joys of driving in Oman

We've been driving for hours - drinking lots of water to keep hydrated means many pee breaks. Familiar sites such as Shell gas stations and McDonald's make me feel at ease and strangely at home. We stop at the local Shell. The bathroom is outside, the toilet a hole in the ground. I'm going to burst and it beats going in public, so I relieve myself and quickly return to the Bentley. The gas attendant hurries to inspect the bathroom, then emerges and gives me the thumbs-up. I guess I passed - I've mastered the art of peeing in a hole. I guess it's not every day a chick in a Bentley does that.

Back on the road, we play a game to pass the time. The game resembles punch bug, but instead of punching someone at the sight of a VW Bug, we call out every time we spot a woman at the wheel. It's not often.