Category Archives: Bentley

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BENTLEY REVEALS CONTINENTAL GT3 DETAILS AT GLOBAL DEBUT

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Bentley Continental GT3

 

BENTLEY REVEALS CONTINENTAL GT3 DETAILS AT GLOBAL DEBUT

  • Continental GT3 unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
  • 600 bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 for 1300 kg racer
  • GT3 to drive the Goodwood hill-climb twice a day

Bentley debuts its new Continental GT3 race car at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed today, unveiling a racing machine set to explore the extreme potential of Bentley’s iconic Grand Tourer, the Continental GT. Member of the Board for Engineering, Rolf Frech, comments: “The Continental GT3 exploits the incredible performance beneath the skin of every Continental GT. We’ve removed over 1000 kilograms of weight, reconfigured our 4.0-litre V8 to produce 600 bhp in race specification, and developed a comprehensive aerodynamic package to ensure that we perform competitively. We are now looking forward to getting the car on the track and proving its potential.”

 

The Continental GT3 is powered by a race-prepared and dry-sump version of Bentley’s powerful but efficient 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, with many components carried over from the road-going engine. Developing up to 600 bhp in unrestricted race configuration via a motorsport engine management system, the V8 provides the GT3 with highly competitive power in a compact and lightweight package that’s perfect for racing. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a carbon fibre propshaft to an Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox with a limited slip differential, mounted as a transaxle for optimised weight distribution. Gear actuations are completed via a pneumatic shift system, controlled by paddles mounted to the steering wheel.

 

A double wishbone suspension configuration front and rear, fitted with four-way adjustable racing dampers, replaces the standard road-car air springs. The steering system features hydraulic power-assistance, while braking is via ventilated iron discs combined with six-piston calipers on the front and four-piston calipers on the rear.

 

The exterior of the car features a comprehensive aerodynamic package, to maximise downforce with optimised drag. A top-mounted carbon fibre rear wing provides rear downforce and stability, while a carbon fibre splitter balances the aerodynamic forces at the front of the car. Revisions have been made to the bonnet, bumpers, fenders and sills in order to optimise the car’s drag coefficient and to assist with engine cooling.

 
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Bentley

BENTLEY’S SPEED MACHINES PRIMED FOR GOODWOOD’S FAMOUS HILL

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speed 8
Bentley will unleash some of its fastest and most powerful cars at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. The flying Bentleys include the 616 bhp (625 PS) and 202 mph (325 km/h) Continental GT Speed Convertible (the world’s fastest four seat convertible) and two of Bentley’s 2003 Le Mans-winning Speed 8 race cars.

Instantly recognisable with their iconic British Racing Green livery, cars No. 7 and No. 8 secured a famous first and second at Le Mans, and are set to make a special reunion ten years on at Goodwood. Brian Gush, Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, said:

“Goodwood’s atmosphere is unique and this summer we’re bringing even more speed to the Festival. The 202 mph GT Speed Convertible is set to turn heads in the supercar paddock as will our Speed 8 Le Mans cars marking the tenth anniversary of Bentley’s 2003 victory. It is also the ideal scene-setter for Bentley’s return to top-level motor sport with a GT3 race car later this year.”
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Bentley, News

Bentley’s Continental GT3 – BENTLEY RETURNS TO MOTORSPORT WITH RACING GT

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Bentley Continental GT3 Official

At the 2002 Paris Motor Show, the unveiling of the Continental GT concept took the world by storm and opened an exciting new chapter in Bentley’s history. Now, ten years on, Bentley is revealing the Continental-based GT3 race car currently being developed by a dedicated motorsport team at the company’s factory in Crewe.

Signalling Bentley’s return to the racetrack for the first time since its historic sixth Le Mans victory in 2003, Continental GT3 remains faithful to the company’s founding motorsport philosophy of developing racing cars from their road-going counterparts.

Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive, comments: “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.”
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Bentley, Spy Shots

Bentley Continental Flying Spur – Production Prototype

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2013 Bentley Continental Flying Spur
Here are the latest spyshots of a production ready prototype of Bentleys Continental Flying Spur, prowling around the Nordchleife in Germany .

Even though this car is under heavy camouflage we can make out a few details on the car, the front has a more aggressive front than the Continental GT, along with round headlights hidden under the hinted square accents on the camouflage.
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Castle of Windsor’s Concours d’Elégance – Bentley

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Bentley at Windsor Castle 2012
Bentley was the main sponsor of the Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance and revealed six of its best among 60 of the finest motor cars in the world,” including the 4¼-liter Bentley ‘Embiricos’.

Concours d’Elégance dates from 17th century France where the aristocracy paraded their highly ornate horse-drawn carriages through the parks of Paris. In time the carriages became horseless and the gatherings became a competitive ‘beauty pageant’ for automobile owners.

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Bentley, Photo Blog

Chris Williams’s 41.8-litre Packard-engined Bentley

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At the 2012 CarFest North Chris Williams fetched his 42 litre Packard V12 powered Bentley is more powerful than the Bugatti Veyron, with a power output of nearly 1600 bhp, unfortunately the car suffered a transmission failure and had to be towed off in flames of glory.

The Packard-Bentley “Mavis” is a vintage racing car built by VSCC member Chris Williams. It is powered by a 42 litre Packard V12 developing 1500 bhp (1100 kW). This engine is a Packard 4M 2500 from a World War 2 PT boat and has estimated top speed of 160mph.
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2001 Bentley Speed 8 Le Mans Prototype Racing Car – Auction

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Bentley Speed 8
Well here is another auction for a more recent Le Mans racer, this time its the 2001 Bentley Speed 8 and has the following racing pedigree.

• First Team Bentley to finish on the podium at Le Mans in 71 years
• Third Place at 2001 24 Hour of Le Mans
• Last raced at Road America in 2007

The inspiration for the successful Bentley Speed 8 program belongs to Dr. Ferdinand Piech, the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who designed the Audi’s “Auto Union” Grand Prix cars in the 1930s.

As chairman of Volkswagen, Piech directed the acquisition of Bentley in June 1998, but he had been the guiding force on the Porsche 917 program, which had won Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Piech also worked on the formidable Audi Quattro rally car and thought that Audi should enter sports car racing.

In 1998, Piech commissioned Italian contractor Dallara to build a sports racer to use the Audi 3.6-liter turbocharged V-8, mid-mounted in a carbon fiber tub. The car became the Audi R8 roadster, which would enjoy a spectacular competition record, losing only 16 races in which it was entered, between 2000 and 2006.

Piech decided that Bentley’s racing heritage should be revived and it should have a parallel course to Audi, competing in the closed LMP GTP class at Le Mans, while Audi would contest the LMP 900 open division. The Audi R8C Coupe would evolve into the Bentley EXP Speed 8 Coupe, the car which is on offer today.
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1931 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre SC “Blower” – Auction

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Bentley 4 1/2 litre Blower
This rather special Bentley “Blower” has appeared on auctioneers Gooding and Company, albeit the name comes from the addition of a supercharger to the already tested four and a half litre inline 4 cylinder engine.

W.O. Bentley, on the other hand, was firmly against the supercharging of his cars. The Bentley racing strategy was based on endurance and reliability, all too often pushing hard at the onset of a race and forcing the supercharged competitors to break; easy victory ensued. W.O. remained confident in the awe-inspiring Speed Six with its normally aspirated 6 1/2-litre engine.

After a hard but heroic 8th position in the 1928 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, Sir Henry Tim Birkin was adamant  that the Bentley 4 1/2 Litre could be substantially more competitive through supercharging considering Mercedes podium first second and third.
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