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NEWS
Bentley unleashes race-ready Continental GT3
British luxo brand takes the gloves off with 447kW, 1300kg race-prepped Conti GT3 at Goodwood Festival of SpeedFor a brand with an illustrious racing heritage, Bentley has been remarkably quiet in the motorsport arena for the past 80 years; the sole exception was the EXP Speed 8 that was campaigned in the Le Mans series from 2001 to 2003.
Now the bewinged Brit brand is once again tapping into its competitive heritage with a lightweight Conti that’s conceived to wage battle in the GT3 category in the FIA Blancpain Series from next year.
The Continental GT3 racer was given its first public outing at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it was piloted in the signature hillclimb event by “Bentley Boy” and 2003 Le Mans champion Guy Smith.
Although the vehicle you see here is not too visually dissimilar from the road-going Conti GT, rest assured it’s been thoroughly revamped for its new job description.
For starters, more than 1000kg has been pared from its hefty girth, while the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 has been tweaked to kick out 447kW. Topping it off is a bespoke aero package that provides the requisite stability for high-speed track work.
The blown V8 carries over many components from the standard motor, but it features dry-sump lubrication and a motorsport-specific engine management system.
Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a carbon-fibre propshaft to an Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox that’s housed at the rear in unison with the limited-slip differential for better weight distribution.
Gearshifts are accomplished via a pneumatic shift system, controlled by paddles mounted to the steering wheel.
The front and rear double-wishbone suspension features four-way adjustable racing dampers, while stopping power is provided by ventilated iron discs with six-piston calipers on the front and four-piston calipers on the rear.
The aero package comprises a sizeable carbon-fibre rear wing and a tarmac-scraping front splitter, and revisions have also been made to the bonnet, bumpers, fenders and sills in order to optimise the car’s drag coefficient and to assist with engine cooling.
Despite its stripped-out race-specification, the GT3 remains a handcrafted Bentley, with the steering wheel, door pulls and seat all hand-trimmed and stitched by craftspeople at the Crewe factory.
The Continental GT3 will spend the remainder of this year being honed for competitive duties, which will commence next year in the FIA Blancpain Series.
CONTINENTAL GT3 SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, repositioned to the rear of the engine bay, Cosworth engine management system
Power: Approx. 600bhp (447kW) derestricted
Driveline: Rear wheel drive, Xtrac six-speed sequential transaxle gearbox, racing clutch, steering wheel mounted paddle operated pneumatic gear shift
Suspension: Double wishbone suspension front and rear, four-way adjustable racing dampers
Brakes: Ventilated iron disc brakes front and rear, Brembo six-piston front calipers, four-piston rear calipers, driver-adjustable brake bias
Aerodynamics: Carbon fibre front splitter, rear wing and body panels. Lightweight, aerodynamically-optimised bumpers, bonnet, sills and fenders
Safety: FIA-specification steel roll cage, Sparco six-point FIA safety harness, onboard fire extinguisher, onboard pneumatic jack system.
Wheels: OZ Racing 18x13-inch rims
Tyres: 310/710R18
Weight: <1300kg
For more photos at motoring.com.au of the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed
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Written byGautam Sharma
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