Slotting into the Continental family as its “rarest and most dynamic member”, the GT3-R is claimed to push Bentley’s cornerstone principles of luxury and performance to new heights. Power will come from the familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 (albeit tuned to 572bhp and incorporating a torque vectoring system in the 4WD powertain), while the absence of rear seats and the use of lightweight materials help shed 100kg from the weight of the standard V8 S. Considering the crash diet and shorter gear ratios, it’s little surprise that it will become the fastest-accelerating Bentley ever: despite a kerb weight figure that remains on the wrong side of two tonnes, the GT3-R will reach 60mph from rest in 3.6 seconds.

Continental earns wings from Crewe

Capped at 300 units and taking inspiration from the Bentley GT3 racing car that won the Silverstone round of this year’s Blancpain Endurance Series, the GT3-R could be regarded as a quasi-homologation special – although it will undoubtedly boast infinitely better build quality. “To be a true Bentley, the GT3-R had to be the most luxurious track-inspired Grand Tourer ever,” says CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer. ‘True Bentley’ enthusiasts might find the bonnet vents and carbonfibre wing unseemly, but we rather like the idea of a Crewe car with more than a distant strand of racing DNA…

Photos: Bentley Motors