Bentley Announces Technical Details of Continental GT 3 Pikes Peak Racing Car

Bentley's Continental GT 3 Pikes Peak race car has now completed three dynamic tests and renewable fuel engine development in final preparations for the world's most demanding and prestigious hill climb race. As Bentley's most extreme road-going model ever, the race car also represents another part of Bentley's transformative Beyond100 program, which will position the brand as the world's leading manufacturer of vehicles for sustainable luxury mobility.

The car will run on renewable fuels when it attacks Pikes Peak out on the 99th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 27. This fuel development program is in line with Bentley's electrification program while providing Bentley customers with renewable fuels, a dual-chain strategy that maximizes Bentley's progress toward complete carbon neutrality.

The start line is at 9,300 feet (approximately 2,835 meters) and the course finishes at 14,100 feet (approximately 4,298 meters), where the air is one-third less dense than sea level. This environment meant that the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak had to make corresponding improvements to its aerodynamic package, chassis, and engine, thus turning this car into the most extreme performance model of the Continental GT or any Bentley road car.

The engine is a race-proven version of Bentley's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V 8 road car engine, completely rebuilt to produce more than 750 hp and 1,000 NM of torque at sea level, with new reduced-compression ratio pistons and connecting rods reconfigured to run at higher power output and to suit the rigors of the race itself, which puts additional boost pressure (over 2.2 bar) into extreme power.

For the same reason, the carbon fiber intake manifold is thicker and stronger than the standard GT 3 model. The custom titanium exhaust manifold was made by Akrapovic through laser-sintered 3D printing and features a larger turbocharger paired with an external wastegate and a very short exhaust pipe with a tailpipe that emerges directly from behind the front wheel.

The engine is powered by 98 RON renewable racing fuel, a special blend of advanced biofuels designed for motorsports, which is a sustainable fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 percent. This high-performance engine also places greater demands on the cooling system, and the engineering team developed a secondary cooling system mounted at the rear of the race car, with air intakes replacing the rear windows and directing air through a second radiator that exits through a pipe in the boot, and coolant delivery for this system run by a dedicated secondary water pump.

The gearbox is standard Equipment, but has been designed to handle the increased torque loads involved, and the rear driveshaft diameter has been increased to provide additional durability. The transmission runs a specially formulated lubricant created by Mobil1 specifically for the car, and Mobil1 also provides performance oils for the engine. The chassis has been set up and tuned to suit the specific nature of the Parker Park climbing trail. The front and rear suspension camber has been significantly reduced to the standard Continental GT 3 setting, allowing for a greater focus on low-speed cornering performance. In addition, the softest springs and sway bars in the Bentley range have been fitted to allow more body movement a maximize rapid weight transfer under braking, even more so as the brakes themselves are specifically water-cooled to cope with the heavier braking demands of this track. Aerodynamic improvements have increased the overall downforce at sea level by 30% while maintaining the aerodynamic front/rear balance of a standard GT 3 car. And Bentley's largest rear wing ever occupies the rear proportions of this car. To maintain the front/rear aerodynamic balance, these are paired with a comprehensive front-end aerodynamic package that includes a two-plane front splitter, flanked by and fitted with vertical plane baffles. Most of these parts were made at the Bentley Crewe Factory using rapid prototype ,and additive manufacturing techniques from carbon nylon rayon. The car now sports a gorgeous racing paint job that combines Roger Clark Motorsport's black and gold theme with real-time recognizable Parker Peak mountain graphics.

To break the record, the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak had to complete nearly 5,000 feet (about 1,524 meters) of climbing at an average speed of more than 78 mph (about 126 km/h), including 156 corners, to cross the finish line in less than 9 minutes and 36 seconds. The driver, also three-time Pikes Peak champion Rhys Millen, broke two existing Pikes Peak records for Bentley: the record for the fastest production SUV in Pikes Peak in 2018 in a Bentayga W12 and the fastest production car in 2019 in a Continental GT.