On June 30th, the 97th running of The Race To the Clouds will start in Pikes Peak, Colorado. As expected of the Volkswagen Group, Bentley will return to the hill climb in 2019. As opposed to the Bentayga W12 that took the SUV record with a time of 10 minutes and 49.902 seconds in 2018, the Continental GT W12 will be put through its paces this time around.
As ever, Pikes Peak veteran Rhys Millen will be in the driver’s seat. Bentley expects to bag another record with the help of the New Zealand-born sportsman, 635 PS (626 horsepower), and 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) of torque from 1,350 to 4,500 rpm. The straight-line performance of the Continental GT is complemented by a 48-volt roll control system.
“When I learned of Bentley’s plans to compete at Pikes Peak for a second time, the decision to work together again was an easy one,” declared Millen. “The Continental GT and its W12 provide us with the perfect platform to begin chasing a new record, and I am looking forward to once again being part of the Bentley Motorsport team that will prepare the car over the coming months.”
Director of motorsport Brian Gush is also excited about the collaboration, let alone the publicity the Continental GT and Bentley will get as a result. Claiming that record, however, is the biggest priority for the Crewe-based automaker and 46-year-old racing driver.
“The challenge to set the outright record for production cars is not one we underestimate, but we are confident in the combination of our W12 engine, the dynamic ability of the new Continental GT and the outstanding skill of Rhys Millen,” concluded Gush. The record in question was previously held by the 2014 Range Sport Sport with a time of 12 minutes and 35.61 seconds.
Now available with the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 from Porsche, the Continental GT has more surprises in store for prospective customers. The V6-engined PHEV is right around the corner, and given time, the Speed and Supersports will be added to the range.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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