A Bentley Continental rides into town on a 760-hp, 4.0L twin-turbo V8 steed. It stops for directions.
“Point me toward Pikes Peak, kind sir.” Continental’s V8 rumbles, its 737 pounds-feet of torque awaiting orders.
“It’s that-a-way,” the gentleman nods at Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, flummoxed at the sight of this mean-looking race car. “Say, what type of horse is this, mister? I ain’t never seen one so...”
“...Ferocious?” Continental interjects. “Boisterous? Brawny? So stunningly gorgeous you’d like to take its hand in marriage?” The Bentley laughs maniacally, tips its cap, then rides west into the sunset. As the story goes, you can still hear it chugging up the 12,780-foot hill toward the finish line.
Historic Run. Historic Race Car.
In 2020, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race was put on hiatus. In June of 2021, cars got the literal green light to come back and prove whose prowess was most prowess-est. That’s where the tale of this outrageous Bentley Continental GT3 ends. (Not even Twin Peaks auteur David Lynch could have dreamt up this funky Bentley GT3 race car.)
But before you know its ending, you must first know from whence this gorgeous luxury race car originated.
GT3’s Origin Story
Built in Cheshire, England, at Bentley Crewe’s HQ on Pyms Lane, the new Continental GT3 became the most extreme road-going Bentley to ever see the light of day. It harnesses the power of GT’s traditional 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, which was reworked with new pistons and conrods to boost PSI by 32. To improve overall efficiency, a new, secondary cooling system has been integrated at the back of the illustrious Bentley car, as well.This Continental racing engine even runs on renewable fuel (98RON biofuel), which is a technological achievement that Bentley will use as a stepping stone to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% in the coming years.
To meet the aggressive turns and curves of the Pikes Peak course, Bentley re-tuned the Continental GT3’s chassis. The camber on both axles was reduced significantly to operate more effectively during low-speed cornering maneuvers. Springs and anti-roll bars were retrofitted to maximize weight transfer during braking. And the brakes were water-cooled to handle increased braking load, as needed.
Aerodynamics is Bentley’s bread and butter. Fitted with the largest rear wing Bentley’s ever constructed – as well as a gearbox-encompassing rear diffuser, a two-plane front splitter, and carbon-nylon filament – the new Continental GT3 nets a 30% boost in overall downforce while maintaining the GT’s standard front-rear balance.
All this speaks to one of the fastest, most aggressive Bentley racing cars to meet Colorado’s asphalt.
The End
Unfortunately, due to snowy conditions, the full 14,000-foot race was shortened to 12,780 feet, so beating an official world record was not possible.
Alas, on June 28, 2021, the GT3 still proved to be the fastest racecar in its class, beating alt-fuel cars and EVs to the top of Pikes Peak. Driven by New Zealand’s own King of the Mountain Rhys Millen, it finished 4th overall (2nd in Time Attack I class), with a time of 6 minutes and 36.3 seconds. That beats Bentley’s previous 2018 SUV Pikes Peak record of 10 minutes and 49.9 seconds, as well as Continental GT’s 2019 Production Class record of 10 minutes and 18.5 seconds.
Maybe next year Bentley will re-write Pikes Peak history for the third time. Until then, let’s just all marvel at the masterpiece that is the Continental GT3.
