Cooley's Logbook: 2012 Bentley Continental GT

Bentley may be the only car in its strata that doesn't lean hard on tech.High dollar cars tend to lean on the technology pretty hard -- and tend to do it pretty badly. The cabin tech in an Aston Martin or Maserati typically doesn't equal what's in a Camry. But the big boys make up for it with exotic technology in their powertrains, audio output and sybaritic creature comforts like champagne coolers.

I was rather pleasantly surprised to find the 2012 Bentley Conti GT doesn't go too far over the top in high-tech gimmickry. Its W12 engine is exotic, yes, but has been knocking around the Volkswagen group for almost a decade. The head unit in the car is a pleasant and palatable VW unit that we like if not love.

The car doesn't offer lane departure, blind spot or automatic parking tech. In other words, it seeks to win as a Bentley with its own luxury message and not a lot of digital razzle dazzle. I give them a tip of the hat for that.

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