Photo: Eurodragster.com
The Bentley Continental GT isn’t exactly a stranger to the world of customization and yet tuners usually ignore the mechanical side, focusing on upgrading the visual side of the coupe, as well as playing with its already plush cabin. We are here now to talk about one enormous exception to this rule.
How big? About 3,000 hp. Actually, this Conti GT has 3,082 horses and has been built for drag racing. The project comes from British specialist Webster Race Engineering, which happens to run its business just 5 miles away from the Santa Pod Raceway in Bedforshire. As a side note, their portfolio includes working for Bentley’s race car program, so we wouldn’t worry about their skills.
When it comes to the source of all that muscle, this Bentley has lost its W12 powerplant, but keeps the twin-turbo theme. This is applied to a 10.2-liter Chevrolet crate engine. You can’t turn up at an FIA European Drag Racing Championship race with all-wheel drive, so all that power now goes to the fat drag radials at the back.
As you can imagine, the structure of the car was kind of reinvented, so don’t expect to find all the original bolts in place. However, the massive body remains crafted in steel. Weight does matter though, which meant that the acres of wood typically placed inside the cabin have made room for lightweight carbon fiber elements.
The 3,000 HP Bentley Continental GT is set to demonstrate its potential this weekend, when it will take part in the first round of this year’s European Drag Racing Championship. Not surprisingly, this takes place at the Santa Pod Raceway. Behind the wheel, we’ll find Steve Neimantas, a 48-year-old watch repairer.
You should know that despite the extreme level of modding going on around here, this Bentley remains road legal, as required by the Street Eliminator class it plays in. As for how much effort went into the project, its builders say it costed them GBP 250,000 (EUR or US$) and eight months of labor.
When it comes to the source of all that muscle, this Bentley has lost its W12 powerplant, but keeps the twin-turbo theme. This is applied to a 10.2-liter Chevrolet crate engine. You can’t turn up at an FIA European Drag Racing Championship race with all-wheel drive, so all that power now goes to the fat drag radials at the back.
As you can imagine, the structure of the car was kind of reinvented, so don’t expect to find all the original bolts in place. However, the massive body remains crafted in steel. Weight does matter though, which meant that the acres of wood typically placed inside the cabin have made room for lightweight carbon fiber elements.
The 3,000 HP Bentley Continental GT is set to demonstrate its potential this weekend, when it will take part in the first round of this year’s European Drag Racing Championship. Not surprisingly, this takes place at the Santa Pod Raceway. Behind the wheel, we’ll find Steve Neimantas, a 48-year-old watch repairer.
You should know that despite the extreme level of modding going on around here, this Bentley remains road legal, as required by the Street Eliminator class it plays in. As for how much effort went into the project, its builders say it costed them GBP 250,000 (EUR or US$) and eight months of labor.
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