Bentley today announced the release of the most powerful and radically styled convertible they have ever made, inspired by the world ice speed record set in Finland two weeks ago in a Bentley Continental Supersports convertible.
Two weeks ago, on the ice of Finland, four time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen set a new world ice speed record in a Bentley car. Driving an all-wheel-drive, biofuel powered, 6-litre and 12-cylinder Continental Supersports convertible on the frozen Baltic Sea, Kankkunen reached a speed of 205.48mph to beat his own previous record of 199.83mph. The company now plan to celebrate this victory with a limited edition run of 100 cars.
Both the record-breaking Supersports and the new ‘Ice Speed Record’ limited edition convertible will be on show from the first day of March at the Geneva Show.
The Ice Speed Record car comes with Bentley’s most powerful engine ever, a 6-litre, twin turbo-charged unit capable of producing power of 632bhp and 590lb-ft of torque. This combines with a Quickshift 6-speed automatic transmission to allow the car to sprint up from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds and reach 100mph in just 9.5 seconds.
Like the other Continental models the new Supersports will run on either petrol or E85 bio-ethanol, or on a mixture of the two. This FlexFuel technology, pioneered in the Supersports coupe, offers an incredible 70% reduction in CO2 emissions on a ‘wheel-to-wheel’ basis.
Also fitted with an all-wheel drive system the car will obviously be able to offer outstanding traction in any weather conditions. This system transfers drive between the front and rear axles automatically using a Torsen centre differential with a 40/60 rear torque split.
All new styling features for the limited edition run of 100 vehicles give the car a muscular and vibrant look. Three paint colours will be available - Beluga, Quartzite, and Arctica White. These will go together with a Dark Grey Metallic soft top made with Bentley’s three-ply composite construction. They will also come with 20 inch, 10 spoke Supersports wheels in a dark tint finish.
Inside the cabin Bentley’s usual fine detailing is given a much more dramatic expression. Features include diamond-quilted Alcantara on the doors, quarter panels and seat facings, and soft grip leather on both the steering wheel and the gear lever. The high-gloss carbon fibre on the dashboard includes a unique red weave, which fits in with the Pillar Box Red contrast stitching on the seats, door casings, steering wheel and gearshift paddles. The signature Breitling dashboard clock also includes a red accent.
Despite its racing heritage and the fact that it is being produced to celebrate a speed record, the ‘Ice Speed Record’ car has much more of a luxury feel rather than a race car feel to the interior, with plenty of on-board equipment such as a sophisticated touchscreen infotainment system, taken from the new Continental GT, which provides rich map imagery, 30GB hard drive, and uses classic Bentley knurled rotary switches for instant and easy usability.
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