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On any given Sunday, there'll be a Bentley racing somewhere

Most of us would regard Bentley more as a luxury marque than a racing one. Sure, it dominated Le Mans in the 1920s with five wins (four of them consecutively), but that was a long time ago. It won again in 2003, but that was an exception – right? Bentley doesn't actually race much anymore, does it? The short answer is: yes, yes it does. The automaker rolled out the Continental GT3 a few years ago, following sister companies Porsche, Audi, and Lamborghini into the category. Now you may be scoffing something along the lines of "yeah but it's only GT3," but while you're doing that, Bentley Motorsport is steadily ramping up its racing program. This year we'll be able to see Contis racing in "more than 90 top-level GT races around the world." Count out the off-season that's now drawing to an end as the racing season gears up and you're talking about two races every week. Yeah, that's right: Bentley will, on average, be competing in two races each week somewhere in the world. Those races will be part of series like the Pirelli World Challenge here in America, the Blancpain Endurance Series in Europe, the ADAC GT Masters in Germany, the British GT Championship, and the GT Asia series. So wherever you live, there's bound to be a race coming up where you'll be able to see the Continental GT3 racing towards the finish line. Of course the Bentley Team M-Sport works squad won't be contesting all of those races itself. It has an array of customer and partner teams lined up for series around the world. Instead of fielding, for instance, a works entry in the Nurburgring 24 Hours this year, it'll deligate to the Bentley Team Abt Sportsline. But that's just one of the 90 races in which the Continental GT3 will compete this season, and we're looking forward to seeing how it fares in each. Related Video: BENTLEY ANNOUNCES LARGEST RACE PROGRAMME YET - Bentley Motorsport races across the globe in 2016 - Works team adds Blancpain Sprint Series to calendar - Wolfgang Reip becomes latest Bentley Boy 22 March 2016, Crewe – Bentley Motorsport will contest more than 90 top-level GT races around the world in 2016, as both its works and customer team programmes expand. The Bentley Team M-Sport works outfit will now enter the full Blancpain GT Series and welcomes Wolfgang Reip to the Blancpain Endurance Series line-up.

Bentley's 1,000th Mulliner project is a one-off purple Bentayga

Bentley's Mulliner division completed its 1,000th project in July 2021, and the milestone car is one you can't miss unless you park it in a lavender field. It's a one-off Bentayga painted purple and fitted with special interior accents. It took seven years for Mulliner to reach this milestone; it formed its own design team in 2014. It designed the sweet potato-colored Bentayga for an anonymous client in Europe who worked closely with the division to create a one-of-a-kind SUV. Look beyond the exterior (or try, at least), and you'll see the cabin features Olive Ash wood trim, which is normally found in the now-retired Mulsanne, plus twin-stitching on the seats and on the door panels. Mulliner's work extends far beyond unusual paint colors and new stitching patterns. Its first project was bringing a limited-edition model named Flying Spur Serenity to life. The sedan received redesigned seats, among other features. It also developed stone veneers for some of Bentley's cars, a variant of the Mulsanne Speed named Blue Train that honors Bentley's racing heritage, a Mulsanne-based six-seater limousine, and the Bacalar roadster, which is limited to 12 examples worldwide. It's based on the Continental GT, but the two models share no body panels. It has also applied its expertise to a handful of unusual projects. For example, Mulliner sometimes helps design the liveries worn by Bentley's GT3 race cars. It fine-tuned details on the 1929 Team Blower continuation car, and its resume also includes creating scale models, sculptures, plus picnic baskets complete with silverware and glasses. Related Video:

2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible puts 208 mph of wind in your hair

The Bentley Continental GT is once again merging the higher-performance capabilities of its Speed trim level with the open-top convertible body style in the new 2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed convertible. The GT Speed convertible's upgrades largely mirror those of the recently unveiled 2022 GT Speed coupe. They start with increased output from Bentley's W12 engine, which has been turned up to 650 horsepower from 626 horsepower in the non-Speed W12 (torque remains unchanged at 664 lb-ft) and given a more characterful exhaust note. The W12 here again pairs with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, although both have been recalibrated for Speed duty. The transmission spends more time in lower gears, while the all-wheel-drive system has a more rearward torque bias in the various drive modes. The combination is good for a factory-stated 0-to-60-mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 208 mph. That's 0.1 second and quicker than the standard W12 convertible and 1 mph faster, thus earning the Speed its name. The Speed's chassis also has been upgraded, with four-wheel steering, an electronic limited-slip rear differential, and optional carbon-ceramic disc brakes with 10-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. They join existing Continental GT chassis technologies that include active air suspension, adaptive dampers, and active anti-roll bars powered by a specific 48-volt electric system. Speed-specific 22-inch wheels are offered in a dark-tint finish to match the mesh grille or, alternately, bright silver or gloss black. Special side gills and discrete "Speed" badging complete the modest exterior makeover. The convertible top is offered in a choice of seven colors including an oh-so-British tweed, and there are eight headliner colors. The fully automated roof can be stowed or raised in 19 seconds. The cabin features Alcantara microsuede accents and two-tone leather and Alcantara seating surfaces with diamond-in-diamond pattern stitching and "Speed" logos stitched into the headrests. Piano black trim is standard, but numerous wood veneers can be specced. There are also metal-trimmed pedals. Heated and ventilated seats are on hand, along with a heated steering wheel and heated armrests to maximize the top-down driving season. There's also a standard neck-warmer that is said to be more powerful and also quieter than before.