2007 Bentley Continental Gtc Convertible 2-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Xcar calls Continental GT V8 S the best Bentley yet

It wouldn't be fair to describe the Bentley Continental GT V8 S as taking the standard version of the luxury coupe and turning the driving engagement up to 11. That accolade is reserved for the hardcore, stripped-out GT3-R version. Though, not everyone wants to go quite that far. As Xcar Films presents in a new video, being behind the wheel of the S compared to the standard GT is more like listening to music through a quality set of speakers where everything become a little more crisp and clear. Giving the S that extra little bit are a multitude of improvements like a stiffer suspension, tighter steering, a more aggressive body kit and an extra 21 horsepower from its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. However, the real magic is how Bentley mixes all of the tweaks together into a grand tourer that can work with drivers when they want to have a little fun. Plus, Xcar's fantastic cinematography over some rolling British hills on a wet day provides a great backdrop.

Bentley designer hints at even faster Continental GT3-R

Does Bentley have room in its Continental GT lineup for an even more extreme version than the new GT3-R? Luc Donckerwolke seems to think so. Speaking with Autocar, the Bentley design chief suggested that an even more performance-focused Continental GT could be in the works, potentially ditching the heavy all-wheel drive system in an effort to further reduce weight, improve handling and drop even more ticks off the 0-60 time that's already down to a best-yet 3.6 seconds in the GT3-R.
To borrow a page from the same playbook used not only by sister-companies Audi and Porsche but also by Renault and Jaguar (to name just a few), we'll tentatively call it the Continental GT3-RS. Whatever the name, though, power would likely come from an even more potent version of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 co-developed with sister-company Audi. Considering that engine already produces 500 horsepower in the Continental GT V8, 521 hp in the V8 S and 572 hp in the GT3-R, we could be looking at as much as 600 horses to make it the most powerful V8 model to date. With that much juice, it would even eclipse some of the W12 models that start at 567 hp in the core Continental GT and range up to the 616 hp in the Speed, which currently ranks not only as the most powerful Conti yet, but also the fastest road car Bentley has ever made.
Donckerwolke says that Bentley has already sold the entire production run for the Continental GT3-R and that customers are already clamoring for something more focused. Younger buyers are likely to be even further drawn to the brand by the ne-plus-ultra Conti, especially if the racing team advanced from its current fifth place in the Blancpain Endurance Series standings.

How'd we miss this incredible 24-hour enduro in prewar cars?

Even in today's 24 Hours of Le Mans, not all of the racecars finish the event. Factors like like mechanical failures, crashes and poor weather that can be the doom of any race team. Now, imagine going to a track today and competing around the clock in vehicles built before World War II. That was exactly what the Benjafield's 24 did at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal in October. Somehow, we missed this spectacular event, and so did most of you, judging by the lack of media coverage it received. The event was named after Dudley Benjafield, one of the famous Bentley Boy racers and a winner of the French race in 1927. According to Goodwood Road and Racing, 21 prewar cars entered, and astonishingly, 20 finished. Teams of three or four drivers did two-hour shifts, and more than just old Bentley racers competed. Robbert Alblas, who also made the awesome video above, told Autoblog via email, "The organization is not a allowed to call it a race because of insurance reasons." Therefore, there were no official rankings of where the competitors actually finished. That's a pity, but it doesn't take away from how awesome an undertaking this was. While you can see cars from this period briefly racing at events like the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, witnessing them go for 24 hours is almost an impossibility today. Check out Alblas' fantastic short film of the Benjafield's 24, above, and get a taste of the on-track action. News Source: Goodwood Road and Racing, Robbert Alblas via YouTube Motorsports Bentley Racing Vehicles Classics Videos portugal portimao