Bentley Continental GT3 Concept Racer 

Bentley announces its return to racing.

For the first time in nearly a decade, a Bentley racing car will officially take to the track courtesy of the racing-tuned Continental GT3 concept racer, unveiled here at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. Based on the Continental GT Speed, the brand's fastest production model ever thanks to its top speed of 205 mph, the GT3 looks to be significantly lighter and lower than its already potent sibling. The GT3 also sports a massive rear wing, which should come in handy since Bentley has confirmed it plans on taking the GT3 to the world famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, amongst other tracks and events around the globe.

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The Bentley Boys

Bentley's last foray into the world of motorsports was in 2003, when the British luxury brand scored its sixth triumph at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the wildly exotic-looking Speed 8 prototype racecar. The other five victories, as you might already know, were achieved between 1924 and 1930, with the famous `Bentley boys' behind the wheel of iconic cars like the 3-Litre and Speed Six. The Bentley brand was forged on this image of racing gung-ho, along with the opulent lifestyles many of its racers, especially team leader Woolf Barnato, enjoyed away from the racetrack.

Bentley Continental GT3 Concept Racer

So you could say the Continental GT3 has some pretty big shoes to fill, and not simply because the vehicle it's based on has a curb-weight hovering around 5,000 lbs. Thankfully both the GT Speed, along with the GT3 race car, have a hugely powerful twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 under the hood. More technical details are coming to the surface here in Paris, but you can be certain the GT3 will abandon the GT Speed's all-wheel-drive format for a simpler (and lighter) rear-wheel-drive layout. The GT Speed's 8-speed automatic transmission is also certain to be jettisoned for something racier.

Bentley Continental GT3 Concept Racer

"The new GT Speed is the perfect car for us to develop into a racer, and our work so far has shown huge potential," said Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, Bentley's Chairman and Chief Executive, "The Continental GT3 is set to show the world what the Continental GT is capable of in its most extreme form, and establishes a solid foundation for Bentley's long-term motorsport plans." The Continental GT3 will take the fight to the likes of Ferraris, Corvettes, McLarens and beginning in 2013.

Bentley Continental GT3 Concept Racer