Photo: Bentley
Rhys Millen is no stranger to setting records on the world’s most famous hill climb, Pikes Peak. On the other hand, Bentley is an absolute newcomer to the Race to the Clouds, so its run up the hill the following weekend should be one to worth watching.
Bentley is to take on the challenge of beating Range Rover’s record for SUVs of 12:35.61 with a specially prepared Bentayga. To be able to claim a new record, the Bentayga would have to reach an average of a minimum of 60 mph (97 kph) on the 12.42-mile course.
Behind the wheel of the SUV would sit Millen, two-time overall Pikes Peak champion. He would have to beat the 608 hp engine into submission on all the 156 corners of the course to pull this off.
To help him along, Bentley has worked for the past six months of getting the SUV ready. Adaptive air suspension and a 48V electric active anti-roll control have been added and tweaked. For safety purposes, the Bentayga now features a roll cage, fire suppression system, and racing seat.
The great interior of the car has been stripped to a bare minimum. In all, says Bentley, 300 kg of interior trim has been temporarily removed.
“The course is one you can only attack with a car that can gain and lose speed very quickly because it’s so tight and twisty,” Millen said in a statement.
“The combination of 600 bhp, 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) and carbon ceramic brakes means that the Bentayga can accelerate and decelerate incredibly hard – and that’s what I’ll be counting on for my run. I can’t wait to get started at the mountain later this week.”
The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is an annual event, taking cars on a climb of 4,720 ft (1,440 m) from the start at Mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway, to the finish at 14,110 ft (4,300 m). The road is made up of over 156 turns spread over a 12.42 miles (20 km) distance.
Behind the wheel of the SUV would sit Millen, two-time overall Pikes Peak champion. He would have to beat the 608 hp engine into submission on all the 156 corners of the course to pull this off.
To help him along, Bentley has worked for the past six months of getting the SUV ready. Adaptive air suspension and a 48V electric active anti-roll control have been added and tweaked. For safety purposes, the Bentayga now features a roll cage, fire suppression system, and racing seat.
The great interior of the car has been stripped to a bare minimum. In all, says Bentley, 300 kg of interior trim has been temporarily removed.
“The course is one you can only attack with a car that can gain and lose speed very quickly because it’s so tight and twisty,” Millen said in a statement.
“The combination of 600 bhp, 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) and carbon ceramic brakes means that the Bentayga can accelerate and decelerate incredibly hard – and that’s what I’ll be counting on for my run. I can’t wait to get started at the mountain later this week.”
The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is an annual event, taking cars on a climb of 4,720 ft (1,440 m) from the start at Mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway, to the finish at 14,110 ft (4,300 m). The road is made up of over 156 turns spread over a 12.42 miles (20 km) distance.
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