Bentley once again takes a shot at great results at the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, USA. Instead of an almost standard Continental GT, this time there is a fiercely prepared Bentley Continental GT3 that gets its energy from biofuel.
Two years ago, Bentley famously made it to the top with a near-standard Continental GT. Not without merit, we may say, because the coupé set the record for production cars. Great, especially since Bentley managed to take the record for production SUVs a year earlier.
This time Bentley is looking for it, forgive the pun, higher up. The weapon for the 2021 edition of the Hill Climb is called Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak and is considerably further removed from a production-ready Continental GT than the earlier racer. The car is visibly based on Bentley’s imposing GT3 racer, but equipped with even more unusual spoiler work at the front and rear especially for Pikes Peak. As a result, the mountain racer now looks as if he has driven away from an unrealistic racing game. Under the hood is not a W12, but a 4.0 V8 that has of course also been heavily modified for the race. For example, the block runs on special biofuel, which significantly reduces CO2 emissions and must also ensure better performance at great heights.
Time Attack 1
With this driving extremist, Bentley is aiming for the record in the Time Attack 1 class, the class for heavily modified but production-based racers. That record has been held by Porsche since 2020, which set a time of 9: 36.559 with a specially prepared GT2 RS Clubsport. To break that record, Bentley must complete the steep 12.42 miles (20 km) course at an average speed of more than 125 km / h. To increase the odds, the wheel is again entrusted to Rhys Millen (New Zealand), who is also responsible for Bentley’s previous success stories at the American event.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is one of the fixed values ​​of the worldwide motorsport calendar. The ‘Race to the Clouds’, as the event is also called, starts at an altitude of 1,440 m, ends at 4,302 m and offers no less than 156 turns over just 20 km. Moreover, part of the course was once unpaved, but since 2011 everything has been asphalted. ‘Pikes Peak’ is very old: the first race was held in 1916. Car manufacturers have invested heavily in the event and have also been using it in recent years to test and promote alternative powertrains. The absolute record is a good example of this: in 2018 Volkswagen drove the electric ID R to the top in just over 7 minutes and 57 seconds.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2021 is scheduled for June 27.