Bentley Motorsport has unveiled an all-new version of its Continental GT3 racecar, which is currently undergoing development for the 2018 season. Development of the car is being undertaken by in-house motorsport team and Bentley’s motorsport technical partner, M-Sport.
The 2018 Continental GT3 has been designed from the all-new Continental GT road car, taking advantage of its mostly aluminium structure has race-ready weight of ‘significantly’ less than 1300kg.
The engine is a development of the existing, race-proven 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, which now features a redesigned dry sump system, and all-new intake and exhaust systems. Unrestricted power is said to be in excess of 550bhp, whilst the car’s suspension and braking systems are new and bespoke to the Continental GT3.
The all-new racecar has already started a six-month test programme to pick up the mantle from its championship-winning predecessor, completing test work in the UK, France and Portugal. Upcoming development work includes full 24 hour endurance race simulations.
“After four years of success with our Continental GT3, we’re excited to reveal our second-generation car,” explained Bentley’s director of motorsport, Brian Gush. “The new car leaves no area or system untouched in the search for even better performance, and the early test results are promising. The new Continental GT road car has proved to be a great starting point for the development of a new racer, and the engineering development work is true to Bentley’s impeccable standards.”
Bentley Motorsport is also announcing its plans for the 2018 season, after 2017 proved to be the most successful season for the team, capturing the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup. Bentley Motorsport will run a pair of new Continental GT3 racers across Europe in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup again next year, and also compete around the world in the four-round Intercontinental GT Challenge.
The new Continental GT3 will make its race debut at the opening round of the 2018 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup at Monza. Updates from the development programme of the new racer, and confirmation of the 2018 driver line-up, will be issued by Bentley Motorsport in due course.
