You may have heard that Bentley claimed a new production car record in the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb with the Continental GT coupe last week. Now you can relive that feat through Rhys Millen helmet cam.
Bentley’s achievement is fitting in that the original coachbuilder from Crewe celebrates its 100th year in existence on 10th July 2019, and the team did it in fashion by smashing the existing production car record (set in 2015 in a Porsche 911 Turbo S) by 8.4 seconds when Millen stopped the clock at an auspicious-sounding 10:18.488.
Icy and wet conditions put driver and the mainly stock 635 hp/900 Nm 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12-powered AWD Continental GT coupe to the test, with only one run allowed for each participant on competition day. The pressure was clearly on for the Millen, but after taking the Bentley Bentayga W12 to the fastest SUV record in 2018, he delivered once again.
The challenge of scaling Pikes Pike is unique each year with changeable weather and the fact that the start line is located at an altitude of nearly 3,000 metres, rising to 4,300 metres at the finish line. And then there’s the course itself – a 20km uphill run with 156 corners, blind crests and sheer cliff drops, with no safety barriers.
