Ron picked the SL63 almost on instinct, before the numbers were even on the table — and for once, his instinct and the spec sheet actually agreed.
Back to the low road, for a reason
This is the second test in this series to run on the Basse Corniche, and that’s deliberate rather than a lack of imagination: the low, oldest, slowest of Monaco’s three coastal roads is genuinely the right baseline for comparing relaxed V8 convertibles against each other, the same way it worked for the 911 Cabriolet, Portofino, and Roma Spider test. A fair comparison needs a consistent road, and this one suits exactly this kind of car.
Three drivers, three V8 convertibles with very different personalities. Ron takes the Mercedes-AMG SL63, arguing that AWD grip and genuine sportiness don’t have to cost a convertible its comfort. Juliana claims the Ferrari Portofino — already covered elsewhere in this series, and still, in her view, the most emotionally resolved of the three. The Bentley Continental GTC V8 goes to whoever’s narrating — currently a Los Angeles-only listing in this fleet, worth stating plainly.
The numbers, for anyone who wants them before the story
| Bentley Continental GTC V8 | Mercedes-AMG SL63 | Ferrari Portofino | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | ~4 | 4 | 4 |
| Engine | 4.0L twin-turbo V8 | 4.0L twin-turbo V8 | 3.9L twin-turbo V8 |
| Horsepower | ~542 hp | 585 hp | 600 hp |
| 0–100 km/h | ~4.0 sec | 3.6 sec | 3.5 sec |
| Top speed | ~318 km/h | 315 km/h | 320 km/h |
| Rental (per day) | ~€1,600 | ~€1,500 | ~€1,800 |
| Drivetrain | AWD | AWD | RWD |
This fleet’s own listing for the Continental GTC V8 has no confirmed spec data — the figures above are Bentley’s own published numbers for the base V8 convertible, hedged the same as any unverified spec. As with a few other tests in this series, the real issue is city availability: the Continental GTC V8 is currently Los Angeles only, while the SL63 and Portofino are both Monaco and French Riviera cars.
First stint: through Beaulieu-sur-Mer, where the SL63 made its case
Ron’s SL63 went first, and the case built itself almost immediately: 585 hp with genuine AWD grip meant a level of confidence through the same low-speed village sections that neither of the other two quite matched, without giving up the sense of occasion a proper V8 convertible is supposed to deliver. “This doesn’t ask you to choose between comfortable and capable,” Ron said. “It’s actually both, at the same time, which is rarer than people think.”
Juliana’s Portofino followed, and made the case she’s made before in this series: a front-engine V8 with real character at a cruising pace, proportions that still read as classically Ferrari despite the retractable hardtop. “It doesn’t need AWD to feel composed,” she said. “It needs a driver who knows what they’re doing, and then it’s the more rewarding car.”
Second stint: Cap d’Ail, and the honest complication
The Continental GTC V8 came through last, and made the same value-adjacent case a Los Angeles-only car in a Monaco test always ends up making: real comfort, a genuinely usable interior, and a rate that undercuts both rivals — if it were bookable here. Same honest complication as a few other tests in this series: a legitimate car, currently in the wrong city to make its case in person.
A bit of context on each car
The Mercedes-AMG SL63 pairs genuine AWD grip with a proper V8 soundtrack — the rare convertible in this segment that doesn’t force a choice between comfort and sportiness.
The Ferrari Portofino is covered in more depth in the Top Down road test against the 911 Cabriolet and Roma Spider.
The Bentley Continental GTC V8 remains a genuinely comfortable, well-equipped V8 convertible wherever it’s actually bookable — worth watching for Monaco availability.
Practical considerations
The Basse Corniche runs through several small towns with real pedestrian traffic — a road for a relaxed pace, and both the SL63 and Portofino are confirmed available out of Monaco and the French Riviera. The Continental GTC V8, as noted, currently is not.
Our call: the Mercedes-AMG SL63. Ron’s pick edges it — the most balanced of the three between comfort and genuine sportiness, with AWD grip neither rival quite matches. Choose the Ferrari Portofino if character and classic proportions matter more than outright balance; watch the Bentley Continental GTC V8 for Monaco availability if comfort and value are the deciding factors.
Both confirmed cars are standalone rentals out of Monaco and the French Riviera. Get in touch and we’ll set one up.