Crewe, 12 April 2023: To mark 20 years since Bentley’s sixth victory on the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 100 years for the reason that first operating of the legendary race, Bentley is creating a restricted version of Continental GT Coupés and Continental GTC’s. Each can be powered by the Bentley W12 engine, probably the most profitable 12-cylinder engine of the fashionable period. The Le Mans Collection consists of distinctive exterior and inside particulars that echo the design of the Le Mans profitable Speed 8 #7.
The Le Mans Collection
All Le Mans Collection fashions are specified with the three-way Bentley Rotating Display, providing a alternative of touchscreen, twin veneer or analogue dials – however with a twist; In place of the usual central dial is a Vitrine displaying an engine valve from the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 of the 2003 Le Mans profitable Bentley Speed 8. The engine was eliminated after the competition and preserved, and now 24 of the 32 valves from the engine have been bisected to create 48 artefacts for this unique assortment of final Grand Tourers.
In one other considerate contact, the usual 12-hour analogue clock is changed by a digital clock with a bespoke dial design – a 24 hour one, naturally.
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Mulliner, Bentley’s private commissioning division, has taken inspiration from the darkish inexperienced Speed 8 racing automobiles that swept all earlier than them at Le Mans in 2003. From the Verdant inexperienced exterior to the sliver of Speed 8 engine displayed within the fascia, the Le Mans Collection is a heartfelt tribute to a lengthy and wonderful shared history between Bentley and the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Tribute to Speed 8 #7
Mulliner’s designers carefully studied the profitable Speed 8 of 2003, certainly one of the lovely racing automobiles ever to triumph at Le Mans. The restricted variety of Continental GT’s and Continental GTC’s within the Le Mans Collection are completed in Verdant inexperienced, with a Moonbeam racing stripe throughout the bonnet (and Coupé roof). The Blackline specification nods to the black and inexperienced livery of the Speed 8, whereas the carbon-fibre Styling specification physique parts are completed in black with a refined pinstripe in Moonbeam.
Beluga black can also be chosen for the decrease entrance bumper, wing mirror caps and rear ‘horseshoe’ space beneath the bootlid spoiler, whereas black 22-inch ten-spoke wheels shroud highly effective carbon ceramic brakes and crimson brake calipers.
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Meanwhile, the distinctive Bentley matrix grille (initially developed to guard the radiator on the unpaved Le Mans racetrack of the Nineteen Twenties) options a painted #7 in Arctica white, combining the race-winning variety of 2003 with the painted radiators of the Bentleys that gained Le Mans 5 instances between 1924 and 1930.
Bespoke particulars
The interiors of the Le Mans Collection Continental GT and Continental GTC are much more luxurious than these of the Bentley Speed 8s – however there’s the identical sense of sporting function. A bespoke 2003 wreath welcome lamp ushers you into a cockpit trimmed in Beluga conceal. Performance-bred napped Dynamica cloth covers the seat faces, whereas the inside’s monochrome color scheme is relieved against this seat stitching and seatbelts in Hotspur. The steering wheel, trimmed in conceal and Dynamica, additionally options Hotspur distinction stitching and 6 o’clock accent tab.
The dual-finish veneer on fascia and door waist rails is executed in Piano Black and excessive gloss carbon fibre, with a tremendous chrome pinstripe separating the 2. Matching doorways to fascia so the pinstripe flows seamlessly from one aspect to the opposite is a mark of the distinctive craftsmanship in each Bentley.
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The Le Mans Collection Bentleys characteristic many bespoke particulars, starting with the Speed 8 sill plates and six-wreath treadplates that greet occupants on getting into the inside. The fascia shows the six-wreath emblem inlaid into high-gloss carbon fibre, marking every of the six outright victories recorded by Bentley at Le Mans between 1924 and 2003.
Race impressed efficiency
The Le Mans Collection Continental GT and GTC are geared up with Bentley’s famend 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine, delivering 659 PS (650 bhp) and a rare 900 Nm (664 lb.ft) of torque.
With distinctive dealing with, this leads to a high velocity of 208 mph (335 km/h) and 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds). A mix of 4 chassis applied sciences give the brand new restricted version a stage of agility, efficiency and journey high quality as anticipated of a automotive with this heritage.
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Bentley Dynamic Ride and three-chamber lively air suspension with adaptive damping play a key position within the steadiness of the automotive and supply a formidable basis to construct upon. The elective and newly-developed Carbon Ceramic Brakes, Variable Electronic Stability Control, All Wheel Steering, and an Electronic Limited Slip Differential bolster the agility and efficiency even additional.
Bentley and Le Mans
Bentley’s lengthy affiliation with Le Mans didn’t get off to the smoothest of begins. “I think the whole thing’s crazy. Nobody’ll finish. Cars aren’t designed to take that sort of strain for 24 hours.” Such was W.O. Bentley’s response in 1923, on listening to that non-public entrant John Duff deliberate to contest the first-ever Le Mans 24 Hour race in a Bentley 3 Litre. But the aggressive fireplace in W.O’s soul noticed him make a last-minute sprint to the La Sarthe circuit nonetheless. Inspired by Duff’s 4th place (regardless of a prolonged cease to restore a holed petrol tank) and quickest lap, W.O and Bentley Motors returned in 1924 with a works entry – and gained. It was the beginning of a wonderful decade that noticed 5 wins in seven years.
Bentley was again in 2001 with the EXP Speed 8, the beginning of a three-year programme focusing on a sixth outright victory. And on Sunday, June fifteenth, 2003, Bentley’s two works Speed 8s completed first and second on this most gruelling of endurance races. Car #7 of Guy Smith, Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello lined 377 laps at a mean velocity of 214.33km/h, adopted by the #8 Speed 8 of Johnny Herbert, Mark Blundell and David Brabham.
Published by Bentley Motors on Newspress
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