Bentley Sets New Production Car Record at Pikes Peak
Bentley’s Continental GT has set a new record for production cars at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Driven by Pikes Peak legend Rhys Millen, the Continental GT climbed the 12.4-mile course in a record 10’18.488, beating a mark set by the Porsche 911 Turbo S in 2015.
It’s the second successive year of record-breaking at the famous Colorado race, with the Bentayga setting a production SUV record in 2018 — also while Millen at the wheel.
The Pikes Peak race is one of the most challenging in the world, with the complex track winding up a mountain once declared unclimbable. Cars start two thirds of the way up the mountain, at 9,300ft above sea level and then, through more than 150 bends, climb a further 5,000ft to the finish at the summit.
That puts unusual stresses on a car, with air pressure falling so far that regular engines see a huge reduction in power. Cooling and, on the extreme unlimited cars, downforce are also dramatically affected. The top time attack cars are equipped with huge turbochargers and even bigger wings to compensate.
However the Continental GT is, unique paint job aside, entirely in standard form for its production class record. Handily that also includes a twin-turbocharged, six-litre W12 engine, which was sufficient to keep the car’s average speed just above 70mph.
Commenting after his ascent, Millen said:
“Today was a challenge with what Mother Nature threw at us, but the Continental GT held strong all the way to the top, and we are now Number One”
You can watch the onboard footage of Millen’s drive below:
