Bentley to Release Race-Inspired Continental GT3-R

Bentley Continental GT3-R (Credit: © Bentley)

If you are one of the fortunate few in the United States that can legitimately afford a Bentley, you should be overjoyed to know that the British brand is releasing a new version of the Continental that will be the quickest production Bentley ever. The Continental GT3-R is based on the GT3 race car, but the production car does not skimp on interior luxury like its motorsports brother. Like the racing version, the new model should be able to surprise a number of Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin drivers.

The car is powered by the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engine, which has been tuned to belt out 572 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. Bentley engineers also worked to drop 220 pounds from the total curb weight, which was achieved partly through a rear seat delete and other changes like a titanium exhaust system. The eight-speed ZF automatic transmission features shorter gearing, further heightening performance. Handling is also improved thanks to an all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring and a sportier suspension setup. As a result, accelerating from 0 to 60 mph takes just 3.6 seconds, beating out the acceleration time for any other Bentley ever made.

Bentley Continental GT3-R (Credit: © Bentley)

Bentley Continental GT3-R Interior (Credit: © Bentley)

The 4,800-pound car has a race-inspired interior that features sport seats and plenty of carbon fiber components. A number of green trim pieces and accents are a tribute to the GT3 race car, which was painted green, because it’s a British racer. The exterior race-inspired features include some body graphics, black aluminum alloy wheels, rear wing, and large hood extractors.

Only 300 of the special edition Bentley Continentals will be made. Each one will come with a green and white paint job that mimics the look of the race car.