Bentley might not hit your radar when it comes to Le Mans competition but it was over 20 years ago when the brand last won the iconic racing event. To celebrate this milestone, Bentley revealed that it will be producing 48 examples of the Le Mans Collection Continental before ending production of the sleek tribute model.
Le Mans Collection Hits Victory Lane In Style
At first glance, these 48 cars might appear to be nothing more than a styling package with each one featuring a large “7” in the front grille as well as a coat of Verdant Green paint with a large racing stripe on top of the car. The Le Mans Collection also gets special black alloy wheels but look closer and some of the unique things about this model begin to emerge. Bentley’s victories came in the Prototype division of the race and they used 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8s. These V8s live on (kinda) in the Le Mans collection with the valves being sawed in half and then being placed in a small display case in the dashboard where the center mounted dial would be. This same display also denotes the car’s place in the production order.
Bentley also swapped the 12-hr face of the clock for a 24 hour face while sill and dash plate trim feature six wreathes that celebrate all six of Bentley’s victories in the iconic race. Lastly, 24 hr badges are also scattered across the car to help identify this particular Continental as a special member of the breed. Mulliner made sure that the rest of the interior matched the theme with all models getting Beluga hued leather upholstery and Dynamica suede inserts.
W12 Plays Intoxicating Song Of Performance
Performance for the Le Mans Collection comes from the iconic and long-running 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine. It still makes 659-hp and is mated to an eight-speed automatic. Three chamber air suspension is standard but the race-inspired carbon ceramic brakes will require buyers to fork over extra money to have them equipped to their ride. These brakes will come in handy since the company claims that the car can hit a top speed of 208 mph.
Bentley is also not releasing pricing for the Le Mans Collection, but look for the model to have a noticeable upcharge over a standard Continental GT Speed model. Also expect all 48 examples to be quickly scooped up by customers.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.