Photo: Bentley
Bentley is trying to tackle a slightly different challenge this year and announced a research and development program for renewable fuels. With the Beyond1000 strategy, the company’s aim to become a carbon-neutral luxury car brand by 2030 is within arms’ reach.
It's no secret that Bentley will go for the third record as it will compete at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, marking its first year to enter the competition with a car running on biofuel-based gasoline.
A modified Continental GT3 race car will be sent to the summit in the state of Colorado, but this year it’s not going to run on conventional fuel. Bentley is still in the testing phase of an appropriate mixture of biofuel, which they say will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 percent over fossil fuel.
To break the record, the Continental GT3 will have to complete the climb 4,720 ft (1,440 m), make 156 turns at an average speed of more than 78 mph (126 kph), and cross the finish line in less than nine minutes and 36 seconds. Rhys Millen, one of America’s top competitors in drifting and three-time Pikes Peak champion, will be the one to face the challenge again this year.
Developed from the 4.0-liter turbo V8 of the Continental GT, the engine will have enough hp to push the car through the Race to the Clouds. To help with keeping the car on the road, the rear is adorned by a massive wing, one of the biggest to ever fit on a Bentley, as you can see for yourselves in the gallery above.
The aerodynamic rear is balanced by a two-plane splitter at the front and flanked by separate dive planes. Other modifications include cooling air scoops instead of rear-seat windows and a mandatory stopwatch mounted on the roll cage next to the steering wheel, among others.
The decision to experiment with fuels is the first step taken by Bentley to actively reduce CO2 emissions in new vehicles. The Continental GT3 Pikes Peak is currently being tested in the U.K., and it will be later on shipped to the U.S. for altitude testing. More updates will follow before the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will take place on 27 June.
A modified Continental GT3 race car will be sent to the summit in the state of Colorado, but this year it’s not going to run on conventional fuel. Bentley is still in the testing phase of an appropriate mixture of biofuel, which they say will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 percent over fossil fuel.
To break the record, the Continental GT3 will have to complete the climb 4,720 ft (1,440 m), make 156 turns at an average speed of more than 78 mph (126 kph), and cross the finish line in less than nine minutes and 36 seconds. Rhys Millen, one of America’s top competitors in drifting and three-time Pikes Peak champion, will be the one to face the challenge again this year.
Developed from the 4.0-liter turbo V8 of the Continental GT, the engine will have enough hp to push the car through the Race to the Clouds. To help with keeping the car on the road, the rear is adorned by a massive wing, one of the biggest to ever fit on a Bentley, as you can see for yourselves in the gallery above.
The aerodynamic rear is balanced by a two-plane splitter at the front and flanked by separate dive planes. Other modifications include cooling air scoops instead of rear-seat windows and a mandatory stopwatch mounted on the roll cage next to the steering wheel, among others.
The decision to experiment with fuels is the first step taken by Bentley to actively reduce CO2 emissions in new vehicles. The Continental GT3 Pikes Peak is currently being tested in the U.K., and it will be later on shipped to the U.S. for altitude testing. More updates will follow before the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will take place on 27 June.
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