Bentley Continental GT3-R – race-derived limited edition road car

Despite the gaudy graphics, competition style air-intakes, racing wheels and imposing rear spoiler, this is a road car. The Bentley Continental GT3-R is the most dynamic and driver focused car in the Continental family. Unsurprisingly the car is inspired by the Continental GT3 race car. However despite the similar name, the GT3-R still has more in common with its other road-going siblings than the racer.

It’s still comfortable for a start. Even though the interior is now a strict two-seater – the rear seats have been replaced with an elegantly trimmed luggage shelf – vast swathes of quilted leather matched with bright green piping, chrome trim and glossy carbon fiber let you know it’s still refined. The newly designed sports seats are more supportive than those found in the standard car, and they include quilted Alcantara suede inserts. GT3-R badging can be found on the center console, sill plates, and passenger side dash.

The exterior of the Continental GT3-R is much more showy than all previous Bentleys. There are some bold GT3-R graphics marked out in green, while up front the car gets a new front splitter as well as dual hood vents to improve engine cooling. At the rear is a fixed position carbon fiber spoiler. Only 300 examples of the car are scheduled to be built, all painted in the same color, Glacier White. The 21-inch wheels are painted in gloss black to contrast with the body color.

Powering the Bentley Continental GT3-R is a twin-turbocharged 4.0 litre V8 engine which produces 572 horsepower and 700 Nm of torque. The most significant change to the powerplant is an all-new Titanium exhaust system which is both lighter and less restrictive, and recalibrated ECU. Of course, having just 572 horsepower means the GT3-R isn’t the most powerful Continental GT model ever built – that honor belongs to the 621 horsepower Continental Supersports – but this car isn’t just about sheer power, it’s about providing an entertaining and involving drive.

The transmission is an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox with shorter gear ratios for better acceleration. In addition the GT3-R is the first Bentley to feature torque vectoring at each of the rear wheels. The Drive and Sport modes for the car have also been altered, making the Sport mode more aggressive than in the standard car.

Overall the Bentley Continental GT3-R is over 220 lbs (100 kgs) lighter than the GT V8 S. This, in conjunction with a sportier version of the air springs and damper setup of the Continental V8 S, as well as the lightweight wheels, grippy Pirelli tires, fractionally increased power, and more potent Sport mode, it’s no wonder Bentley say this is the most dynamic road-going Bentley Continental GT yet.