British Bulldog: Bentley Continental GT3

It’s a reminder of just how varied the GT3 grid is when the Conti lines up against the other three racers in this test. It literally casts a shadow from its 1350mm height.

It's also the longest at 4950mm, although the Chevy almost matches it there and the Ferrari is actually 5mm wider.

But the burly Brit, campaigned in the Australian GT championship by Peter Edwards and Flying B Racing, looks like a block of flats charging down Phillip Island’s Gardner Straight compared to the tiny Lambo, which is 610mm shorter, 100mm narrower and 250mm lower!

The Bentley marries that height and bulk with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that knocks out a derestricted 447kW and 660Nm and has been repositioned to the rear of the engine bay for better weight balance.

And it’s the engine that’s the first thing Luke mentions when he comes back from his flying laps, unhooks from the six-point harness and clambers out of the racing seat.

“Obviously, really good grunt,” he says.

“Very impressive with the power… If anything it struggled to put it down a little bit.

“But it sounded very cool. Even though it is a turbo it was still like a V8 [to the ear].”

And was the sheer bulk of the car an issue?

“Not really, it feels a bit bigger and softer than the Lamborghini, but in the high-speed stuff into turn one I could have gone heaps faster. In the Hayshed [Turn Eight] it turns and responds; it doesn’t feel like it is going to do anything wrong.

“You can’t be as severe on the brakes with it. It doesn’t put its power down quite as well, that’s the main issue.

“But it would be interesting to see some data, because it does feel very stable in the high-speed stuff.

“If anything it just moves around a bit more, feels a bit softer. It is a big car so the platform is stable. I am quite impressed with it.”

Flying B Racing Bentley Continental GT3 specifications:
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Displacement: 4000cc
Bore x stroke: 84.5x89mm
Max power: Up to 447kW unrestricted
Max torque: 660Nm
Transmission: Xtrac six-speed sequential transaxle, paddle-operated
Suspension: Double-wishbone front and rear
Brakes: Six-piston front callipers, four-piston rear callipers
Wheels: OZ Racing 18x13.0-inch
Tyres: 310/710 R18
Length: 4950mm
Width: 2030 mm
Height: 1350 mm
Weight: 1300 kg
Wheelbase: 2746mm
Weight distribution: 52:48