Bentley is going after the production car record for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with the Continental GT at this year's event. The attempt on the record, due to be held on June 30, will see Pikes Peak veteran Rhys Millen at the wheel of the Conti and - if he manages to beat the 10m 26.9s time that would give the GT the signal honour - then the coupe will join Bentley's Bentayga as a record-holder at the Coloradan mountain, as the Bentayga is the current fastest production SUV up the course: it set a time of 10m 49.9s last year, at an average speed of 66.5mph. That makes it almost two minutes quicker than the previous quickest SUV. Brian Gush, Bentley's director of motorsport, said: "We have taken much learning from our successful visit to Pikes Peak last year with the Bentley Bentayga and applied it to our preparations this time around. We are proud to demonstrate the Continental GT's breadth of abilities in competition on a global stage. The extreme conditions of Pikes Peak pose a significant challenge. With the start line being at 9,300ft and climbing to 14,100ft, the air is one-third less dense than at sea level. The weather will also play a vital role in the run, as 90-degree temperatures and clear skies can change to snow in a matter of minutes. The lack of oxygen will also impact driver Rhys Millen, who will have an on-board oxygen system fed into his helmet to reduce any effect of altitude sickness." Find out more about the Pikes Peak event by visiting https://ppihc.org/.
Matt Robinson - 6 Jun 2019