2019 Bentley Continental GT Pikes Peak– Classified of the Week

We pride ourselves here at Car & Classic as being Europe’s largest marketplace for classic and niche vehicles and whilst the Bentley Continental may not be considered a classic just yet, this GT3 FastR Ex-Works Pikes Peak behemoth most certainly falls into the latter category. Wowzers.

We’ve spoken about the legendary Pikes Peak hill climb before. It’s a bona fide motorsport institution at this point but if you’re unfamiliar with this Colorado landmark then go and have a read. Designed to conquer this monster of a course this particular Bentley Continental has its name well and truly on the tin, being called, as it is, the Bentley Continental GT Pikes Peak, and it was pointed at the summit of the mountain in question in a bid to break records.

Now there’s no need to visit a popular high street brand of corrective eyewear to realise that this is not a standard Bentley Continental GT. But all of that aero isn’t just for show. Far from it. The aerodynamic modifications provide a 30% increase in overall downforce. The huge rear wing – the biggest ever fitted to a Bentley – and diffuser provide increased traction at the back, but there is also a two-plane front splitter combined with separate dive planes at the front to maintain the car’s overall aerodynamic balance. Bentley didn’t just order in some random bits and stick them on the car, however. All of the active aero was developed in-house by Bentley itself in Crewe.

The engine is still the tried and tested 4. 0-litre twin-turbo V8 from the Continental road car (if it ain’t broke…) but it has received some fettling to hike its power output to a whopping 750bhp. New pistons and conrods paired with larger turbos running additional boost pressure of over 2.2 bar, along with a carbon fibre intake manifold, custom Inconel exhaust manifolds, external wastegates and dedicated side exit screamer pipes make it all possible. Music to our ears!

As part of Bentley’s ‘Beyond100’ path to sustainability the car is set up to run on 98RON renewable racing fuel, which, as we’ve proven, is a perfectly viable form of motion lotion but because the engine is essentially the same as that of a standard Continental then it will no doubt be able to run on boggo Tesco pump fuel too, should you wish.

To ensure the car was as competitive as possible myriad other mechanical tweaks have also been made. The gearbox is Bentley’s standard racing unit that is proven to handle the loads involved when pushing at such a demanding course as Pikes Peak but the rear driveshaft diameter has been increased to provide additional durability. A secondary cooling system has also been installed at the back of the car with air scoops where the rear windows should be in order to channel cool air through the secondary radiator.

Due to the nature of the Pikes Peak course Bentley’s softest springs and anti-roll bars have been fitted to maximise weight transfer for braking with the brakes themselves being water-cooled t increase performance.

All in all this Bentley Continental GT3 represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to own one of the craziest, most unique Bentleys ever produced. This is it. This is one of one. Fully stripped and rebuilt in as-new condition this is motoring history right here and we bloody love it.