Bentley Continental goes racy

The new Continental GT3-R is the fastest Bentley ever built. It is the production version of the Continental GT3 race car that stormed to victory at the second round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Silverstone. It races from 0-100 km in just 3.8 seconds and the top speed is 273 km/h. Only 300 of these grand tourers will be built and will only be available in Glacier White paint.

Focused on pure performance, this two-seater GT is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo developing a whopping 572 bhp and 700 Nm of torque, not to mention the eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox comes with shorter gearing compared to other Continental models. It is also 100 kg lighter than the GT V8 S.

Together with modified Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and a chassis tune optimised for outright cornering ability, this all-wheel drive Continental gets air suspension holds up at all four corners and comes with the brakes that use carbon silicon carbide discs which make sure the GT stops safely at high speeds.

The GT3-R gets a unique two-seat cabin handcrafted from carbon fibre and comes with newly designed foam layers for comfort and finished in Beluga black leather with diamond-quilted Alcantara. This exquisite material is also hand-trimmed to the steering wheel and gear shifter, while the centre console and fascia panels are handcrafted in carbon fibre. With the absence of two rear seats, it now comes with additional luggage space.

From the outside, Bentley’s Design team have added a new front splitter which gives the GT3-R an assertive look from the front while the new fixed rear wing fitted to the boot lid is made of carbon fibre. The bonnet incorporates two vents to improve the cooling capacity of the powertrain system.

Wolfgang Dürheimer, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, said, “The experience of driving a Continental GT3-R is awe-inspiring, and takes the dynamic abilities of our Grand Tourer to new heights. We were inspired to create something extremely special for the road by the performance of our Continental GT3. It is a celebration of the Bentley passion for building outstanding drivers’ cars. To be a true Bentley, the GT3-R had to be the most luxurious track-inspired Grand Tourer ever, and this car pushes our trademark combination of luxury and performance to a new level.”