Bentley Continental GTC

As Bentley is on track for a new annual record of 7,000 sales, the U.S. continues to be the number one market for its open top models, accounting for almost half of Bentley convertible worldwide sales.

And in the whole of the U.S., California and more specifically its southern part, is the place to go if you want to see a convertible Bentley. Therefore it makes perfect sense to choose the LA Auto Show for the new Continental GTC's North American debut.

“Los Angeles is the ideal location for Bentley to launch the luxurious and powerful GTC convertible”, said Bentley’s member of the Board for Sales and Marketing Alasdair Stewart. “Southern California remains the most successful market for Bentley in the U.S., and the U.S. remains the largest market in the world for the company.”

The second-generation GTC, which goes on sale at the end of the year, has adopted Bentley’s new “face” first seen in the Mulsanne. Under the hood of what Bentley claims is the stiffest open-top car in the world is a hand-built, turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 with 567HP and 516 lb-ft of torque that powers all four wheels via a Quickshift automatic transmission.

The interior is swathed in high-quality leather and wood, while an 8-inch touch screen infotainment system reminds you that this is the 21st century. And just so you can open the top whenever you feel like it, the GTC even has neck warmers in the rear headrests.

Of course, with an MSRP of US$212,800 sans any options, you wouldn’t expect anything less…