The second generation Continental GT3 debuted at Monza in 2018, with a new bodyshell based on the all-new production Continental GT, but optimised for weight and stiffness.

A New Generation of Racer

The 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine is mounted 86 mm lower and 90 mm further back in the race car, allowing a near 50-50 weight distribution for handling balance. The engine came fitted with an all-new dry sump system, revised inlet and exhaust manifolds, and a new intercooler which promised improved cooling over the previous iteration.

The second generation GT3 competed globally, most notably in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup and Intercontinental GT Challenge, continuing Bentley’s motorsport prowess first realised by the Bentley Boys of the 1920s.

Bentley’s 2020 Bathurst Win

The Continental GT demonstrated its extraordinary breadth of ability on the road and on the track, particularly by taking overall victory in Continental GT3 form at the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2020. The #7 Continental GT3 of Maxime Soulet (BEL), Jordan Pepper (ZAR) and Jules Gounon (FRA) dominated the opening round of the 2020 Intercontinental GT Challenge that year, sweeping to victory after starting P11.

The car moved quickly through the order into podium contention. World-class stints from Soulet, Pepper and Gounon, and strong strategy and pit stops from the team, moved the team into P1 for a total time of seven hours – with the car running flawlessly. A superb reactionary pit-stop just over an hour from the end to deal with a puncture was the final act from the team to set the car up for victory. Rain loomed while ambient temperatures exceeded 40°C, but after the half-day sprint the #7 Continental GT3 crossed the line as the winner of the Bathurst 12 Hour. As they took the chequered flag, the crew also set a new race distance record of 314 laps - before the heavens opened and the team rejoiced in the rain.

Car #7

The chassis kept in the Heritage Collection is the very car that won the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2020, the highlight of the second-generation GT3 programme, which signed-off Bentley’s GT3 programme in style. It’s now fitted with a second seat, to allow passengers to experience the ferocity of the most performance-focused Continental GT.