Ever since Bentley brought the radical Continental GT3 Concept racer down to the Paris Auto Show last year, all eyes were set on the British luxury auto maker to come out with the finalized version. Bentley truly did not disappoint as they unveiled the finalized version of this new racer at the recent 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Set to compete in the FIA Blancpain Series next year, they had also released the full specs of this GT3 racer. Under the hood lies a race-tuned version of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine which in unrestricted race configuration could churn out up to 600 wild horses. Like all GT3 racers, the power is sent to the rear wheels via a Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox with a limited-slip differential, mounted as a transaxle to optimize weight distribution.
The Continental GT3 sports a double wishbone suspension on both front and rear with four-way adjustable racing dampers. The steering system gets hydraulic power-assistance, and stopping power is provided by ventilated iron discs and six-pot calipers on the front and a four-pot on the rear.
With all these goodies stuffed inside, the Continental GT3 weighs only 1,300kg; over 1,000kg lighter than the road-going production version. Of course, such featherweight is thanks to the removal of all interior amenities such as the leather seats, trims and the production electrical systems.
The racer comes with a complete aerodynamic package which includes a top-mounted carbon fiber rear wing and a carbon fiber splitter. The bonnet, bumpers, fenders and sills have also been refined to optimize the car’s drag coefficient and assisting the engine’s cooling.
