Bentley Continental GT ice racer breaks cover

Bentley Motorsport has unveiled a specially-prepared Continental GT which will compete at the prestigious GP Ice Race at Zell am See, Austria, for the first time.

The Ice Race Continental GT will be running in livery that pays homage to its record-breaking compatriot from the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2019 and shares the same factory built W12 twin-turbocharged engine.

Its 6.0-litre unit delivers 626bhp, resulting in a 0-60mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 207mph.

The car has been kept as close to production standard as possible, with minimal changes for safety compliance including a rear roll cage, on-board fire suppression system, racing seats and harnesses.

Other modifications include an increase to the the ride height to give greater ground clearance, wheel arch extensions to accommodate a 15mm increase in track width, studded Pirelli Scorpion tyres, a brace of Lazer high performance lights and a custom exhaust system from Akrapovic.

The roof features a bespoke rack, fitted with a pair of Bomber for Bentley Centenary Edition skis.

Junior World Rally Championship driver Catie Munnings will take to the wheel of the Bentley Continental GT at the event (Feb 1/2), becoming the first female driver of the modern era to competitively race for Bentley Motorsport.

“The opportunity to race with Bentley at Zell am See is one that I couldn’t miss,” said Catie.

“I’m completely blown away by the car, and I actually still can’t believe I’m getting let loose in a Bentley to do an ice race.

“I spent some time on ice in the car just before Christmas. At first I thought it would feel heavy, but I was amazed by how dynamic, nimble and responsive it is.

“It can dance like a lightweight rally car, and I can’t wait to race it at such an iconic event.”