The GT3-R: Bentley’s Fastest Car Ever

A derivative of the GT3 racecar, Bentley’s new limited edition GT3-R will make its North American debut this week.  Forbes Review of GT3-R

“Bentley has a very strong racing heritage,” said CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer. “Which makes this 2.4 ton vehicle a highly relevant addition to the brand’s collection. With two seats and the ability to go from 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds, this isn’t your average over-sized touring Bentley.”

Looking in the racing history books, records show that Bentley Motors won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times between 1924 and 1930. Now the company is working on their comeback to the prestigious world of racing. And the release of this $337,000 GT3-R will certainly put them on track for this goal.

This new Bentley model is a cross between a racecar and a touring vehicle, with a 4.0-liter twin turbocharged V8 engine, 572 brake horsepower, and 518 pound-feet of torque. The car’s front wheels feature 16.5-inch carbon ceramic brakes–the biggest on any production car in the world, which can absorb 10 megajoules of energy in one stop.

Power and performance aside, the look and design of this GT3-R is also racing inspired. The body is made from steel and aluminum, with a carbon fiber front splitter and rear wing. The bonnet also includes racecar style cooling vents and black finished 21-inch wheels.

Bentley is only manufacturing 300 of these cars, which operate on 13 mpg of gasoline. Their gas mileage might be less than ideal and the design and color customization is not even an option, but Bentley notes that the GT3-R is more of a collector’s item than a practical touring vehicle.