Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans is among the many most prestigious accomplishments in motorsports. Two many years in the past, the Breitling-liveried Bentley Speed 8 completed two laps forward of the pack, taking the marque’s sixth victory.
To commemorate the achievement and the 20 years since that victory, Bentley has produced a restricted run of 48 Le Mans Collection Continentals. Each of the Collection’s 48 Continentals retains the Speed 8 reminiscence alive by incorporating a bit of the 2003 race winner in every of the brand new autos.
How is Bentley doing that? It’s as distinctive because it will get in automotive manufacturing. After the Speed 8’s 2003 Le Mans victory, Bentley eliminated the 32-valve V8 from its bay and reduce 24 of the valves in two. Each of those 48 half-valves is now housed within the three-way rotating visible show in every of the 48 Le Mans Collection automobiles.
When in a regular Continental, the three-way show contains a chronograph, outdoors temperature gauge, and compass. In Le Mans Collection autos, the compass is changed with one of many 48 race-used valves that includes the chassis variety of the car and the 24 Hours of Le Mans emblem to create a correctly distinctive homage.
Bentley’s Le Mans Collection is available in two variations produced by its Mulliner division. The Blackline is harking back to the victorious Speed 8 in 2003. The Verdant inexperienced and black paint job is complemented by a white 7 on the distinctively British matrix grille, and white-painted aspect skirts.
The Styling specification boasts extra uncovered carbon fiber, in addition to a pinstripe carried out in a shade identified to Bentley as Moonbeam. Both fashions put on 22-inch, 10-spoke wheels that shroud newly developed carbon ceramic brakes.
Opening the doorways reveals they aren’t fairly just like the butterfly-hinged ones on the Le Mans-winning racer. Instead when the usual doorways are opened, drivers are greeted with a 2003 Wreath welcome lamp. Seemingly countless luxurious follows, starting with ample darkish grey Beluga disguise that extends to the black Dynamica cloth seat faces.
Those seats are highlighted by contrasting crimson stitching which stays outstanding all through the cabin. Carbon fiber is in surplus and provides a dose of gorgeous gray-black to the distinctive shade scheme.
The inclusion of the historic half-valve within the Le Mans Collection Continental’s show isn’t the one nod to Bentley’s time at Le Mans. The producer additionally factors to its 100-year Le Mans historical past with a Speed 8 silhouette drawn on the door sills subsequent to 6 wreaths for Bentley’s Le Mans victories.
Don’t be fooled by the creature comforts — the Le Mans Collection Continentals aren’t efficiency slouches. Bentley notes every car is powered by the “most successful 12-cylinder engine of the modern era.” It’s a 650-horsepower, 6.0-liter W12 that delivers over 660 lbs/ft of torque to all 4 wheels.
Its 3.5-second 0-60 dash and 208-mph high velocity are eerily near the Le Mans-winning Speed 8 regardless of the Continental’s boat-like dimension. Track efficiency is heightened with the addition of four-wheel steering, variable stability management, and a limited-slip differential. Bentley’s large dimension/large energy components hasn’t modified from their century-old Le Mans racers. If it ain’t broke, why repair it?
Bentley didn’t point out the manufacturing break up between coupes and convertibles. Of the 48 that can be produced, it is going to possible be near 50/50. Similarly, no worth was given and it received’t be a shock if the value soars past the $300,000 mark.
Mason Bloom is a reporter for TheWeeklyDriver.com. When he’s not writing about trade information, new automotive critiques or overlaying dwell motorsport occasions, he’s a sophomore at Aptos High School on the California central coast.
Source: theweeklydriver.com