2011 Bentley Mulsanne 6.75l V8 $313k Msrp on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Bentley plotting rear-drive Continental GT3-R?

Coupe, convertible or Flying Spur sedan: no matter what body-style you get, or what engine you specify, the Bentley Continental comes with all-wheel drive. It's been that way since the model line was first introduced a dozen years ago. But that looks poised to change... at least for one notable exception. According to Autocar, Bentley is all but certain to launch a rear-drive version of the Continental GT3-R sometime next year, ditching the front half of the drivetrain to cut a good 440 pounds off the curb weight to make it the lightest Conti yet. The Continental GT3-R launched last year with less weight and more power, along with a stiffer suspension, upgraded brakes and a titanium exhaust. It drew its inspiration from the Continental GT3 racer, but unlike the competition version, kept the AWD drivetrain in place. "A lot of people expected the GT3-R to be a proper rear-wheel-drive sports car," Bentley's chief engineer Rolf Frech said to Autocar, "but the problem was timing. We needed the car at the end of the first season of our GT3 racing car, and to do a proper change of the complete powertrain needed longer than we had. But we have the concept in our mind, so why not?" Denuded of its all-wheel drive, the Conti GT3-RS – assuming Porsche doesn't mind lending the name to its sister company – would be the most hardcore version of the go-to luxury coupe, and would promise to cut its already blitzkreig 3.6-second 0-60 time down even further. Especially if the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 were tuned to deliver even more than the 572 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque it already kicks out in the existing GT3-R. Chances are it'd be even less accessible, though: the 99 examples of the Conti GT3-R that are coming to the States out of the 300 total to be made already carry a $337k sticker price, and the rear-drive model would likely push the production:price see-saw even higher to the right.

Bentley releases new details on Continental GT3 racer

Porsche's new LMP1 Prototype isn't the only motorsports news coming out of Volkswagen AG this week. After unveiling its new Continental GT3 at the Paris Motor Show last year, Bentley has released some new images and details as this racecar continues its development. Similar to the Porsche announcement, Bentley's new GT3 marks a significant return to motorsports, only in this case, Bentley hasn't raced a car since 2003 - a winning effort at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
From street to race form, the Continental has dropped about 2,200 pounds by shedding many of the luxury and tech features that make the street-legal Continental GT the car that it is - including 50(!) electronic control units. The Continental GT3 uses the same 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 as the road car, but we're guessing output has been tweaked a bit from the standard 500 horsepower. Except for the carbon fiber hood, decklid and doors, Bentley says that the body of the GT3 is a direct carryover from the Continental GT.
Inside, even a stripped interior and full roll cage won't stop Bentley from being Bentley as it gives this racecar the same attention to detail as its road cars - the seats, steering wheel and door pulls all receiving the hand-crafted treatment from the factory in Crewe. There is no word as to when the Continental GT3 will make its racing debut, but more details about the car can be found below in the official press release.

Bentley going back to Pikes Peak with a Continental GT

Bentley is headed to the clouds again, with Rhys Millen once more at the wheel. The English luxury brand took on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb last year with a Bentayga, Millen setting a production SUV record of 10:49.902. This year the duo want to claim the production car record over the 12.42-mile, 156-corner course with the new W12-powered Bentley Continental GT. The Pikes Peak organization doesn't list "Production Car" on its list of records. The closest we could find is a record run of 10:26.896 set by David Donner in a 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S in the Time Attack 2 class. It appears a production car only needs the necessary safety gear like a roll cage and fire extinguisher to qualify for Time Attack 2. An Acura NSX won the category in 2016, just two seconds off Donner's time. Bentley is already working on its run and likely has simulations showing it can outdo Donner's time, but this will be a battle of lean vs. largesse. The Continental GT has all-wheel drive like the 911 Turbo S, and one more gear in its eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox compared to the Porsche. The Turbo S put out 560 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, compared to Millen's ride getting 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. But the Bentley weighs roughly 1,400 pounds more than the Porsche, a healthy handicap to drag up to the 14,115-foot summit. Millen's the man to make the attempt, though, having raced up the mountain 25 times and taken five overall and seven class victories. The race goes down - or up, rather - on June 30.