The vehicle debuted in 2003 at the Geneva Motor Show, followed by Le Mans, the 2003 Goodwood Festival of Speed and the 2003 annual Bentley Drivers Club meeting at Silverstone. The car differed from the previous Continental R & T models in terms of its concept: although much of the car is hand assembled, it is a mass-produced car made in significantly larger numbers. It is not a coach-built car. The price at launch was less than half the price of the Continental R, giving the car a wider customer base.