Bentley Prototype EXP Speed 8 Le Mans Racing Car Revealed in Detroit

Detroit, 9 January, 2001: Bentley Motors today unveiled its all new racing prototype, the EXP Speed 8 with which it will return to racing for the first time in over 70 years. The intention is that EXP Speed 8 will set Bentley Motors on a course which will in time lead to outright victory at the world�s greatest motor race, the Le Mans 24-hours race. A win in this maiden year is not expected. The aim is to finish reliably and acquire data to make the car more competitive for the following years when it will race with its new Bentley engine.

The EXP Speed 8 is powered by a 3.6-litre, twin turbocharged V8 engine, based on that used by sister company Audi to win Le Mans last year. It is the sole component on the car that has not been designed from scratch exclusively for the EXP Speed 8 and is being used to provide proven power and reliability in the Bentley�s debut outing.

Racing Technology Norfolk (RTN) has been appointed to build the EXP Speed 8 for Bentley Motors, with Peter Elleray heading up the design team. Richard Lloyd�s Apex Motorsport with John Wickham as team manager is running the race and test programme. The entire project is being managed by a small team of executives at Bentley Motors in Crewe, headed up by chief executive Tony Gott.

The design of the EXP Speed 8 differs from that of all current Le Mans competitors as it will contest the Le Mans GTP class for fully enclosed prototypes. This, says Elleray, brings considerable advantages. "It means we can only use up to 14in instead of 16in width wheels but this can be advantageous as they interfere less with the air flow under the car. And we are allowed a 1mm larger air restrictor."

Aerodynamic efficiency lies at the core of the EXP Speed 8�s strategy, the closed cockpit making exploitation and management of air flow over the centre section of the car much easier and more effective than on a conventional, open prototype. EXP Speed 8�s shape has already been proven in the wind tunnel, where it has been subjected to 11 week long trials featuring over 1000 different configurations tests.

The structure of EXP Speed 8 starts life as three hoops of carbon fibre. Onto this is applied a stressed carbon-fibre skin to create a monocoque that is both strong and space efficient, allowing greater freedom for aerodynamic packaging as well as a more comfortable environment for the driver. This entire structure weighs just 70kgs.

Carbon fibre naturally makes up the bulk of the structure of EXP Speed 8 but the Bentley employs not simply the woven carbon-fibre cloth familiar on all modern racing cars but also uni-directional strips of carbon-fibre in those areas where the forces it is subjected to come from just one source.

The 3.6-litre, twin turbocharged V8 engine has been re-engineered for the EXP Speed 8 particularly to adapt the forced induction system to suit the car�s aerodynamics. There are different turbochargers and a new installation while the engine itself has naturally been modified accordingly.

The Bentley specified transverse gearbox has been developed with Xtrac and has six speeds and pneumatic gear engagement for extra speed and reliability over 24 hours. This gearbox has been designed specifically to cope with the characteristics of EXP Speed 8.

The suspension follows current race car thinking with double wishbones at each corner. Even so it uses torsion bar springing at the front as they package into the EXP Speed 8�s design without disturbing the crucial air flow under the front of the car. Coil springs are used at the rear.

The brakes have been developed with AP Racing and feature carbon discs and pads, with six piston callipers at each corner. The tyre supplier is Dunlop on whose rubber the winning Bentleys of the twenties and thirties raced, thus renewing a 70 year old partnership.

The Bentley EXP Speed 8 will first be seen in action at Le Mans during the official test session weekend at Le Mans on 5/6 May.

Team owner Richard Lloyd comments: "So far as the race is concerned, of course I want to win, but you have to be realistic. This is the first year and to win would be almost unprecedented. The focus has to be on getting both cars to the finish which, at this stage in the programme, would be a tremendous result."

Tony Gott, Chief Executive of Bentley Motors said: "Testing and development of the Speed 8 project is going very well.  We are now confident that we have an excellent foundation for the cars to be competitive.  The driver line up and the strong technical support the team will have throughout the test programme will ensure that on 16 and 17 June we will uphold the honour of the Bentley marque at Le Mans.  However, with the tremendous heritage of Bentley at Le Mans it is an enormous responsibility, and one we are taking very seriously."