Bentley to Launch a New GT3 Based Road Car At Goodwood Festival of Speed

Goodwood Festival of Speed will See a New Bentley

Bentley is expected to reveal a flagship rear-wheel drive performance version of the Continental GT at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later in June. The model, set to be named GT3, is designed to link Bentley’s race and road programmes and position the Continental as a truly sporting GT, and is likely to have around 700bhp. It has just made a winning return to GT racing with a Continental GT3.

The most inspiring factor in the hot new road car will be weight-saving. Even the lightest V8-powered Continental GT road car weighs 2,295kg, a full 1,000kg more than the racer. Bentley has also ditched the Continental’s four-wheel system in favour of a lighter and more sporting rear-wheel drive system. The road model is thought to be lightweight and feature carbon fibre bodywork, rear-wheel drive and 700bhp.

 

The Continental GT3 road car is also set to extensively feature carbon fibre in its bodywork and other trim to further bring down the hefty kerb weight, with the construction of the road car set to be finished by Bentley’s own race engineers for an even closer look between road and race cars.

A test car was spotted at the Nürburgring last month that is now believed to be the new GT3. The spy shots show that styling and aerodynamic upgrades will also be offered on the new range-topper, including a fixed rear wing. Bentley has long spoken of its desire to launch a more focused version of the GT3. Indeed, the model was believed to be a pet project of returning boss Wolfgang Dürheimer, who kicked off development of it in his previous tenure at Crewe. The model is understood to be built in a limited run rather than as a regular production model, around 30 of which are destined for the UK.