New Conti GT3 to spawn road car
BENTLEY HAS REVEALED its new Continental GT3 race car, a precursor to a hot Continental GT road car that’s likely to arrive by 2020.
The GT3 has the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 as the Continental GT V8 with a Cosworth engine management system and, when not restricted to GT3 guidelines, produces around 542bhp.
The previous GT3 used a tuned version of the same engine with more power but also more weight. Bentley collaborated with M-sport on the racing model. Bentley claims the new GT3 weighs significantly less than 1300kg, compared with the road-going W12 launch car’s 2250kg.
The GT3, which is based on the new Continental GT, features far more aggressive bodywork than the GT, with a deep front spoiler, wide wheel arches, aerodynamic fins and a huge rear wing.
Inside, there’s a roll cage and six-point harness. Underthe-skin upgrades include a lightweight racing battery, race-spec anti-lock braking and traction control, carbonfibre propshaft and four-way adjustable racing dampers.
Bentley hopes to clinch wins in the Blancpain GT Series with the model. It will make its race debut at the opening round of the 2018 Blancpain Cup at Monza on 21 April.
Prices for the race-going GT3 have yet to be announced but are likely to be higher than the £368,000 Bentley charged for the previous model.
The current Continental flagship is the Supersports – a 209mph, 700bhp version of the previous Continental GT. The road car inspired by the new GT3 is more likely to be a successor to the 2014 GT3-R, which had a top speed of 170mph and 572bhp.