Most people associate the Bentley brand with heavy luxury cars but the British marque actually has a deep connection to racing. Most recently, Bentley smashed the production car record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb using a slightly modified (for safety reasons) Continental GT. The car, piloted by three-time champion Rhys Millen, completed the climb in just 10 minutes and 18.488 seconds, beating the previous record set in a Bentley Bentayga SUV by over eight seconds.
After the Bentayga set its record, Bentley celebrated the occasion with a limited edition model. Bentley has now released a new Limited Edition Continental GT, which commemorates the record-breaking run at Pikes Peak. Only 15 examples will be built featuring exclusive Radium by Mulliner paintwork and a carbon-fiber body kit.
"The new Limited Edition Continental GT is distinguished by a number of carefully curated features to honor that outstanding record run. It reflects Bentley's spirit of endeavor, one that has been a constant throughout the last 100 years and remains at the beating heart of the company," said Chris Craft, Member of the Board for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales at Bentley Motors.
Bentley has painted the limited edition car in a bright shade of Radium to match the record car, though black paint is also available for those with more subtle tastes. Gloss black detailing has been added to the front lower bumper inserts, roof panel, wing mirrors, and rear surfaces while Acid Green accents adorn the brake calipers and the lettering on the Pirelli P Zero Color Edition tires. 22-inch Mulliner Driving Specification wheels come standard and a '100' grille is optional to commemorate Bentley's centenary year during which the hill climb record took place.
Inside, the cabin is filled with Alcantara mixed with contrasting Radium thread stitching and a unique honeycomb stitch design and center stripe (both in Radium) are applied to the steering wheel. Carbon-fiber trim adorns the dash while the center console is finished in Piano Black and a graphic showing a section of the Pikes Peak track is found on the passenger-side dash. The seats also feature Pikes Peak embroidery and the interior also comes with exclusive B&O speaker covers in Black Anodised and Radium finish as well as Pikes Peak treadplates.
Just like the car that broke the record, this limited edition production car is powered by Bentley's 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 producing 626 horsepower, resulting in a 0-60 mph run of just 3.6 seconds. Bentley says this celebratory model is available to order starting in December 2019.