Hot on the heels of the achingly gorgeous all-new Bentley Continental GT comes the hardcore variant of the grand tourer in the shape of the Continental GT3 racecar, unveiled today by Bentley Motorsport. The second-generation Conti GT3 has a lot to live up to given the success of the first-gen model. The championship-winning endurance racer managed 45 wins across 528 races across the globe, scoring 120 podiums in the process.
"After four years of success with our Continental GT3, we're excited to reveal our second-generation car," commented Brian Gush, Bentley's Director of Motorsport. "The new car leaves no area or system untouched in the search for even better performance, and the early test results are promising. The new Continental GT road car has proved to be a great starting point for the development of a new racer, and the engineering development work is true to Bentley's impeccable standards." Bentley has a long history of producing winning racecars with former Le Mans winners including the 4 ½ Liter, Speed Six and Speed 8.
Based on the all-new Continental, Bentley Motorsport's in-house team of engineers, along with designers and technicians from M-Sport, utilized the road car's aluminum structure to ensure a race-ready weight of less than 1,300 kg. Power comes from Bentley's race-proven 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 rated at over 550 horsepower. The power plant boasts a Cosworth management system, a totally redesigned dry sump system, as well as all-new intake and exhaust systems. Aerodynamic enhancements, forged in the wind tunnel, have been applied to the muscular road car to create additional downforce, including a carbon-fiber front splitter, rear wing, bumpers, hood, side sills and fenders.
The GT3 also comes with a bespoke suspension (double wishbone and four-way adjustable racing dampers) and Alcon ventilated iron disc brakes (with six-piston front calipers, and four-piston rear). The GT3 sits on a set of 18-inch BBS Motorsport wheels, while the interior comes fitted with a steel roll-cage and six-point safety harness. A six-month test program is currently underway, which will include 24-hour endurance race simulations. For the 2018 season, Bentley will run a pair of Continental GT3 racers in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup across Europe, as well as around the world in the Intercontinental GT Challenge. The new Bentley Continental GT3 will make its race debut in Monza.