The second generation of the highly successful Bentley Continental GT received several styling and performance updates from the previous generation. The body styling received several changes, such as a headlight and bumper re-design, a sleek new silhouette, and some other updates inside the cabin. Performance-wise, the 2nd Generation Continental GTs saw the introduction of a new V8 engine, together with an update to the W12. One of the most notable technical updates was the variable displacement technology, which allowed the engines to work on fewer cylinders when the full capacity of the powerplant was not needed. As with the previous generation, the 2nd Generation Continental GT saw the introduction of new trim and powerplant variants, as well as the Continental GT's debut in motor racing, thanks to the new V8 powerplant. Derived from the racing effort, the Continental GT 2nd Gen GT3-R, a limited-edition road-going version of the race car was developed in 2014. The 2nd Gen Continental GT was produced until 2018 when the Bentley Continental GT 3rd Generation was introduced to replace it.