PARIS MOTOR SHOW: Bentley Continental GT3
Bentley builds a Porsche basher and heads to the trackBritish brand Bentley has made the decision to head back to the track. And it's aiming at the fiery cauldron that is GT3 racing.
The VW-owned marque chose this week's Paris Motor Show to announce its plans and debut a concept of the racer with which it will take on stablemates Porsche and Audi, as well as key competing marques such as Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari.
Though the car shown is only a mock-up, it points clearly at the seriousness of Bentley's tilt at the GT3 championship.
Bentley says the 12-cylinder car, which is based on the new Continental GT Speed also unveiled at Paris, will first race in "late 2013". It will be Bentley's first return to the racetrack since 2003.
But this racer is a more genuine effort than the ‘03 Le Mans campaign which resulted in a historic sixth Le Mans 24 hour victory. Then, the cars were actually re-bodied Audi sports car prototypes.
Under the GT3 rules the new Continental GT3 racers will be based closely on the donor road cars.
Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive Dr Wolfgang Schreiber told the Paris throng: “The clear message from our customers is that Bentley belongs on the racetrack, and the Continental GT3 is the realisation of a dream we’ve had ever since the launch of the Continental GT.
"The new GT Speed is the perfect car for us to develop into a racer, and our work so far has shown huge potential. The Continental GT3 is set to show the world what the Continental GT is capable of in its most extreme form, and establishes a solid foundation for Bentley’s long-term motorsport plans”.
The new Continental GT Speed is powered by a 466kW version of the Conti's unique W12 powerplant. Bentley claims a top speed of 330km/h.
Read more Paris Motor Show stories at motoring.com.au
See all the photos from the Paris Motor Show at motoring.com.au
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