Bentley has a long and illustrious history in motorsports, particularly the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The British sportscar maker has won the race six times over the iconic endurance race’s 100-year history, and even the Mulsanne – a production Bentley model that ended production back in 2020 – is named after the long straight on the Circuit de la Sarthe where the race is held.
Its latest success was in 2003, where they’ve not only won the 24-hour race outright, but also managed to secure a 1-2 finish in the Prototype category with its Speed 8 race car. Now 20 years later, Bentley has created a special edition model – its second of such – to commemorate its win, as well as the centenary of the historic race.
This is the Bentley Continental GT Le Mans Edition, and only 48 of such cars will ever be made worldwide – all of which already spoken for. One of them has made its way into Malaysia, and while it’s not a “car launch” per se, we still had the distinct pleasure of checking the car out in person before it was handed over to its new owner.
You won’t be able to buy one for yourself any more (which the owner spent RM4.5 million for, inclusive of duties and taxes), but hopefully these photos are enough to do it justice, and give you a closer look at the gorgeous car.
RELATED: 2023 Bentley Continental GT Speed launched in Malaysia – Crewe’s sportiest model in history
The fanfare begins even before you even get to the car, as each example is delivered with a special box to keep your keys, and also includes a scale model of the Speed 8 race car – finished in the same Verdant green colour as the actual car itself – to be displayed proudly in your garage.
The Verdant paint job mimics the iconic British Racing Green colour synonymous with the marque’s race cars, and just like the latter, the Bentley Continental GT Le Mans Edition also gets a Moonbeam silver racing stripe across the top, and accented with black details – including a blacked out panel on the rear fascia – as a nod to the Speed 8’s black and green livery.
A white ‘7’ is painted onto the matrix grille as a tribute to the 2003 winner, and a pair of the race’s ’24h’ logo adorns the car’s front fenders as a further homage to the historic race.
As you open the doors to head inside, the special edition model greets you with a unique 2003 wreath that’s projected onto the ground. The six wreaths, signifying its six wins in Le Mans, are also displayed proudly on the bespoke door sill plates and dashboard, the latter including the years 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, and 2003, proudly etched onto the lacquered carbon fibre trim. The analogue clock on the dashboard, naturally, has also been replaced with a digital timepiece showing only 24-hour time.
What makes the Le Mans Edition truly special as a tribute, though, is that each of the 48 cars are all fitted with a unique slice of the actual race car’s engine – an actual piece of the valve from the Speed 8’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 is displayed proudly within the centre dial of the rotating display on the dashboard, making each car truly one-of-a-kind.
Coincidentally, the Le Mans Edition is also one of the last Continental GT models that will be equipped with the 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine, as the iconic powertrain has now been discontinued in favour of electrification. It’s the same powertrain as the Continental GT Speed, which outputs 659 hp and 900 Nm, with power sent to all four wheels via Bentley’s bespoke all-wheel drive system.
Equipped with a specially-tuned air suspension with active anti-roll systems, the Bentley Continental GT Speed is Crewe’s sportiest model to date, and a fitting starting point to honour the marque’s racing triumphs.
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