Continental GT Takes Win At Bathurst 12 Hour & Debuts At GP Ice Race

The Continental GT shows its force in the Australian heat and shows its grace when drifting in the Austrian snow!

After starting back in position 11, the #7 Bentley Continental GT3 managed to dominate the opening round of the 2020 Intercontinental GT Challenge at Bathurst in Australia at the weekend.

12 gruelling hours of near-flawless and problem-free racing later, the #7 Continental GT3 finished the race in first place, driven by Maxime Soulet (BEL), Jordan Pepper (ZAR) and Jules Gounon (FRA). A win that was described as “long-deserved” win for the Continental GT3 by Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Paul Williams as they had been in contention “many times, especially here at Bathurst” in the past.

The team and their Continental GT3 found themselves in position 1 for an impressive total of 7 hours. Thanks to the car running flawlessly, good strategy and well-timed pit stops along the way, Soulet, Pepper and Gounon finished the race with only one hiccup along the way…

Despite racing in temperatures exceeding 40°C in the New South Wales city, the Conti ran exceptionally smoothly with its W12 twin-turbocharged TSI engine and even managed to set a new race distance record of 314 laps.

“What a weekend. Our crew has been pushed to its limits but shown that whatever racing throws at you, you must never give up.”

“It’s a great way to start our season and we hope it is a sign of things to come for our customer teams around the world as we embark on our largest motorsport programme to date.”

Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Paul Williams

On the same weekend on the other side of the world in Austria, the Continental GT continued to amaze by debuting at the famous GP Ice Race where the car put on a show for the crowds as it slipped and slid around the ice track. Not only did it make for a stunning spectacle for viewers to take in, but also a great show of force for the Continental GT and all of its 626 hp!

Driven by Catie Munnings (GBR), a Junior World Rally Championship driver, the car sported a livery that was not only stunning but was also a homage to the car that broke the Pikes Peak record just last year. Beating the hill climb record by 8.4 seconds, the Continental GT became the fastest production car ever at Pikes Peak and sported a very similar livery to the one at the GP Ice Race.

The ice racer rocked a blue sky design with the rear of the car fading into the black, mountainous design which also incorporated black wheels for a fantastic visual effect. The car’s debut consisted of several timed runs, as well as some demonstration laps where Munnings had the opportunity to show off the car’s livery and the meaty W12 whilst tearing up the ice in studded Pirelli tyres.

Talking about putting on a show, Munnings also joined professional Bomber skier Sven Rauber to do some skijoring, a sport that involves a skier being towed by dogs, horses, or in this case, a 626 hp Bentley.

For more on exciting and spectacular motorsport, subscribe to our mailing list below!

Also, if you enjoyed this, we think you may also enjoy our article on the amazing, record-breaking VW ID.R.