Bentley And Akrapovic Team Up To Make The Continental Lighter And Louder

Akrapovic is one of the world’s leading providers of automotive aural goodness through its huge range of aftermarket exhaust systems, but it’s rarer – although not unheard of – for the Slovenian company to team up with a manufacturer to offer a factory-fit system. That’s exactly what it’s just done with Bentley, though.

The two companies have come together to develop a new lightweight exhaust system for the new, currently hybrid-only Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur. Made from titanium and various heat-resistant superalloys, and closely related to the Akrapovic sports exhaust found on the new Bentayga Speed, it saves up to 10kg over the Continental family’s standard exhaust systems, depending on the model.

It’ll also help uncork a bit of extra thunder from their 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8s. Flip the car into Sport mode and a valve-operated bypass flips open in each pipe, producing, in Bentley’s words, a “full-throated rasp under hard acceleration and distinctive burbles on overrun.” Could sound a bit incongruous on the big, stately four-door Flying Spur, but you won’t hear us complaining.

Bentley goes on to say that “When driven dynamically, the acoustic experience transforms seamlessly through the engine’s revolutions, progressing from a commanding V8 roar to a smooth, high-frequency sound.” In other words, it should make a nice noise.

The exterior of the pipes themselves has been sandblasted and coated with an eye on creating an even finish and resisting scratches. They wear branding from both Bentley and Akrapovic.

The system is available across every version of the Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur, both the 671bhp ‘base models’ and 771bhp Speed versions. You can order it as a cost option while speccing up – sorry, ‘commissioning’ – your Bentley, or if you already have one, you can pop it down to your local Bentley dealer to get the system fitted.