In 2003, Bentley won the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Not only did the British carmaker manage to secure the first position, but the team managed to secure a 1-2 position in the Prototype class. Now, it has been 20 years since the iconic race and hence Bentley will build 48 limited edition Continental GTs to commemorate the same.
Bentley Continental Le Mans Collection : More Details
Bentley has appropriately called the limited edition cars as the Le Mans Collection. But, it’s not just a new paint job and badges, Bentley has infact used the parts of the 2003 race winning car as design elements in the Le Mans Collection.
The carmaker has cut the 24 valves from the engine in two halves. Bentley has placed each of the halves in a small dashboard display on the Continental GT. The piece is displayed prominently in the central dial of the triple gauge cluster. Apart from this, the display also contains the production number as well as identifies the car as a Le Mans Collection unit.
Bentley has also incorporated some unique design elements in the car. These include a 24 hour clock instead of the usual 12 hour analog clock. Further a six-wreath emblem is placed on sill plates and dashboard. In terms of paint job, Bentley has selected a special Verdant Green paint with a white racing stripe on the hood. The grille also comes with a painted number 7, the car number of the actual Speed 8 that won in 2003.
Bentley will offer the Le Mans Collection Continental GT in both coupe and drop top formats. However, the British carmaker has not yet said how they will be allocated. Further, the 48 units are available globally hence it will be a good collectible vehicle. Additionally, the British carmaker has not yet revealed the price and exact availability of the cars.
Bentley’s performance at the 2003 Le Mans
Bentley entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Prototype category. The team used two units of the Speed 8 for the race. Powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, the cars finished the race in the first and second spot. The cars demonstrated the endurance of not just the engine but also the complete car.
