Bentley Continental GT3-R debuts in the UAE at the Yas Marina Circuit

The Bentley GT3-R made its debut in the UAE on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi last week. Only 300 of these will be made. If you are still thinking about getting one, tough luck since they have all been sold out. It is no surprise nearly 50 of them are customers from the Middle East.

Getting straight to the performance, the Bentley GT3-R gets a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 under the hood, developing 572 hp and 700 Nm of torque. It is also 100 kg lighter than the regular Continental GT V8 and coupled with shorter gearing, helps it reach from 0-100 kph in 3.8 seconds, making it the fastest accelerating Bentley ever.

Unfortunately due to its very limited numbers, we couldn’t have a go on the Continental GT3-R but were given hot laps around the Yas Marina Circuit by their own professional driver. He certainly didn’t hold back, as we got a chance to experience its capabilities, along with some drifting around some of the corners.

We did however get a chance to drive the Continental GT V8 S around the track, and while it’s no slacker with 521 hp, the difference in performance between the two was evident.

The Glacier White paint finish of the GT3-R, along with the green graphics, have been inspired by the Bentley GT3-R race car that took victory in the second round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Silverstone, the first UK race for Bentley for 84 years, as well as at the Paul Ricard circuit in France. It gets a carbon-fibre front splitter and rear wing, two bonnet vents to improve cooling and 21-inch lightweight alloy rims painted in gloss black.

Inside the GT3-R, luxury is not lost with bespoke sports seats, handcrafted from carbon-fibre, Alcantara and leather. Seats are wrapped in Beluga leather, with offset green stitching and GT3-R badging.