The Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak races to the clouds

The Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak racer is now undergoing final preparations for the world's most demanding hill climb competition, having completed three dynamic test sessions and optimised to run on renewable fuel for the infamous 'Race to the Clouds'.

The most extreme road-going Bentley ever built, the car represents another strand of Bentley's ambitious and transformational Beyond100 programme, which will see the brand become the world's leading luxury mobility company driven by sustainability.

For its assault on Pikes Peak on 27 June, the car will run on 98RON Renewable Racing Fuel. The fuel is a dedicated blend of advanced biofuels designed for motorsport, and is a technological stepping stone toward sustainably-created eFuel that boasts a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of up to 85%.

Following the completion of the Continental GT3's Pikes Peak run, the overarching aim is to offer renewable fuels to Bentley customers in parallel with Bentley's electrification programme. This two-strand strategy is set to maximise the pace of Bentley's progress towards net carbon neutrality.

With the start line at 2,835m, the course climbs to 4,298m where the air is a third less dense than at sea level. This environment means that the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak features extensive modifications to its aerodynamics package, its chassis, and its engine, turning it into the most extreme iteration of a Continental GT - or indeed any Bentley road car - ever.

The car is now resplendent in its race livery, inspired by Bentley's instantly recognisable Pikes Peak mountain graphic that features on the Pikes Peak variants of the Bentayga and Continental GT.

To break the existing Pikes Peak record, the car will have to complete the nearly 1,500m climb, which includes 156 corners, at an average speed of more than 125km/h to cross the finish line in less than nine minutes and 36 seconds. 

The Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak will continue its final testing and development activities over the next two weeks, ahead of the 99^th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on 27 June 2021.