Many people do not think of racing when they first think of the Bentley brand. The words aviation, luxury, class and quality all resonate closely to the Bentley brand, but few individuals know that the roots of Bentley are on the track. In early days of Bentley from 1923-1930, they dominated the automobile racing world. Originally started with a group of gentlemen that went by the name “Bentley Boys”, these men were socialites that owned Bentleys and wanted to race them. They weren’t professional drivers. For the most part, they were just men who had fast cars they loved and wanted to see just how hard they could push their vehicles. Bentley has a total of 8 Le Mans titles and many other accolades in the racing world. For a breakdown of Bentley racing history check out the video below.
The new GT3-R is meant to draw inspiration and motivation from those prestigious roots in the racing world. With the company trying to channel the spirit of the Bentley boys to its modern day customers by pilling horsepower and technology into the new Bentley Continental GT3 R. As one of the hottest Bentley units ever produced, the Continental GT3-R, was officially presented to the public during the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The model in question will enter a limited production of just 300 units, and all of them will be hand built in Crewe, United Kingdom, and finished by the company’s motorsport department. All units of the Bentley Continental GT3-R will be finished in Glacier White paint with two-tone green graphics, on its side profile, which will help differentiate it. The GT3-R will be a rare beast, too, conveniently timed to coincide with Bentley’s recent success at the second round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Silverstone – taking a win in the first UK race for the company in 84 years. With Bentley’s race-proven 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, this two-seat, performance-focused Grand Tourer rockets from a standstill to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. This makes the Continental GT3-R the fastest-accelerating Bentley ever.
“The experience of driving a Continental GT3-R is awe-inspiring, and takes the dynamic abilities of our Grand Tourer to new heights,” said Wolfgang Durheimer, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors. “We were inspired to create something extremely special for the road by the performance of our Continental GT3. It is a celebration of the Bentley passion for building outstanding drivers’ cars. To be a true Bentley, the GT3-R had to be the most luxurious track-inspired Grand Tourer ever, and this car pushes our trademark combination of luxury and performance to a new level.”
If one of these beastly Bentleys moves you, then come by Park Place Bentley Dallas to inquire about availability of the Continental GT3 R and all other Bentley models.
