Bentley has just launched the limited edition Bentley Continental GT3-R, and will make its debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Forget what you know about the normal Continental, as the GT3-R does not look like a typical Bentley.
This two-seater GT car is inspired by the Bentley GT3 race car, and part of the firm’s direction to provide cars aligned with their new “performance-focused luxury” philosophy. The standard 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine has been beefed up to 572bhp with 600 Nm of torque, and the all new lightweight titanium exhaust system delivers a unique “baritone roar”. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is mated to the engine, which has shorter gearing compared to the standard Continental.
Improvements were made on the powertrain, where the modified electronic stability control drives the car’s new all-wheel drive system. Torque vectoring was fitted for the first time in the Continental model, allowing the car’s enormous torque to be fairly distributed between the wheels, improving traction and reducing understeer at the same time.
Weight saving is essential for GT racing cars hence the GT3-R has taken out the nonessentials, including the rear seats where the luggage bench was placed instead. That translates to a 100kg reduction, which improves the car’s acceleration, where 0-100km/h was achieved in just 3.6sec. Stopping power was made courtesy of Bentley’s carbon-silicon-carbide braking system. Despite the modifications on the engine and powertrain, the suspension was retained, with the air springs and dampers have been enhanced based from the set-up used on the Continental GT V8 S.
The 300 units are only available in Glacier White paint, complemented with two-tone green graphics dubbed as “the power lines” on the side profile of the car. For those who want something different from the usual supercar coupes and cabriolets, this Bentley Continental GT3-R will make an interesting proposition. After all, it was this beast that put the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, Audi and Lamborghini to shame at the recent round of the Blancpain Endurance Series in Silverstone.
[Source: Autocar UK]
