2018 Bentley Continental GT3 – Pikes Peak Special To Be Offered By Iconic Auctioneers
An opportunity to own a unique piece of Bentley history…
The 2018 Bentley Continental GT3 – Pikes Peak Special was factory-built in 2018 to be the most extreme Bentley GT3 ever. With a build cost of over $1.2 million, it was to be the final, ultimate incarnation of an internal combustion engine-powered competition car from the home of W.O. Bentley. Completely stripped and rebuilt in “as new” condition, the car is set to be auctioned by Iconic Auctioneers Feb. 21-22.
In late 2018, FastR acquired this Continental GT3 to run in Time Attack during 2019 with support from Roger Clark Motorsport and M-Sport. Running the car unrestricted at around 750 bhp, they won at a number of circuits, setting many new lap records along the way and winning the 2019 Time Attack Championship.
At the end 2019, it was agreed that Bentley would prepare the Continental GT3 (in conjunction with FastR and Roger Clark Motorsport) in an attempt on Pikes Peak in 2020. The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), also known as “The Race to the Clouds,” is an invitational automobile hill climb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado and is held on the last Sunday in June. Having piloted the Bentayga and Continental GT to wins, Kiwi veteran and twice King of the Mountain, Rhys Millen agreed to drive the Continental GT3.
The Race to Pikes Peak
The arrival of COVID-19 delayed the 2020 event to 2021. The car was 18 seconds ahead of the other class entries during testing, setting record times in all three stages of testing in the days prior. Unfortunately, ice at the top of the hill meant that the event was shortened a few miles from the original finish line. A backfire led to a loss of pressure, which meant that Millen had to complete the last few miles of the run using lower gears. The car still won the Development Fuel Class, but it finished just five seconds short of a Porsche GT2 RS.
According to Ionic Auctioneers, the car would be perfect to go back to Pikes Peak should the purchaser request an invitation. With around 1,000 bhp at the rear wheels, it is incredibly capable and could still be very effective in Time Attack, particularly with the revised Class structure, as well as setting lap records at most U.K. circuits.
Bentley was thought to be planning to build two more copies of the car, however, that never happened, so the Continental GT3 is the last conventionally powered race car that Bentley ever developed and ran in an official factory program. It was also the first car it ever ran on a synthetic fuel and one of the most extreme cars it ever built.
The Competition Car Sale will take place on Saturday, February 22, at Stoneleigh Park in Coventry, England. Viewing is available in person at the auction venue February 21-22, where Iconic Auctioneer’s team of specialists will be on hand to answer any queries. For more information, visit the Iconic Auctioneers site.
