Bentley Continental T and R Le Mans - fast and very exclusive heavyweights

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Bentley Continental T and R Le Mans - fast and very exclusive heavyweights

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Created on December 16, 2022

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Bruno von Rotz

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - get in and drive off

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - slightly flared wheel arches created space for 285/45 WR 18 tires

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - attractive and timeless coupé

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - balanced proportions even with a short wheelbase (296 cm)

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - with the short wheelbase, the coupé is only 524 cm long

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - still looks modern today

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - distinguishing feature: cone finish on the metal behind the instruments

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - you can feel at home here

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - lots of leather and soft carpets

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - red area from 4500 rpm

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - there are two simple round instruments in front of the driver

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - no shortage of additional instruments

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - the Garrett supercharger scoops at 0.5 bar

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - longitudinally mounted V8 engine

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - 6.75 liter displacement for around 400 hp

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - you can't see too much of the engine

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - Twin headlights

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - classic radiator grille without frippery

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - back then, normal halogen lights still did the trick

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - red background for the Bentley-B

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - the Bentley "B" on a red background is also enthroned on the large wheels

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - Chassis number on the windshield

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - fuel filler flap, sometimes 20 liters per 100 km can be added

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - winged B on red background

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - this version also had wide soles

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - built on the occasion of participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - ready to go

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - visually, the differences are limited

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - compact would be different, but the Bentley looks much smaller than it is

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - with the long wheelbase

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - dark wood, green-backed instruments

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - the start button is in the center console

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - spacious rear compartment, but limited headroom despite long wheelbase

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - V8 engine with 6.75 liter displacement

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - the forced-induction eight-cylinder engine delivers around 400 hp

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - here is the Bentley-B on a green background

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - Radiator grille with honeycomb pattern

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - special license plate - Le Mans badge

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Bentley 4 1/2 Litre (1929) - two 4.5-liters and one 6.5-liter at Le Mans 1929

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Bentley Continental R (1996) - dynamic press photo

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Bentley Continental R (1996) - elegant and luxurious

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Bentley Continental R (1995) - the elegant coupé in green

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Bentley Continental R Mulliner (1999) - Special model

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Bentley Speed 8 (2003) - 1st place for number 7 at the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans

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Bentley Speed 8 (2003) - 1st place for number 7 at the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans

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Bentley Speed 8 (2003) - the winning team at the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans - Tom Kristensen, Rinaldo Capello and Guy Smith

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Bentley Speed 8 (2003) - together with pre-war Bentley at Laguna Seca

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Bentley Speed 8 (2003) - together with pre-war Bentley at Laguna Seca

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Bentley Continental T (1996) - elegance and speed

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - rare example

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - around 5.34 meters long

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Bentley Continental R Le Mans (2001) - automatic gearshift

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Summary

Anyone who thought a Bentley Continental R costing almost DM 500,000 or CHF 400,000 was too popular could be helped. Variants were produced in very small numbers, differing in technical details, equipment and even wheelbase and exterior dimensions. This article is dedicated to two particularly rare Continental variants, illustrated with many pictures and documented in the automotive literature of the time.

This article contains the following chapters

The surprise of Geneva
Shorter and wider
More is always possible
Return to Le Mans
Sporty luxury

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Ettore Bugatti is said to have described the heavy Bentley pre-war sports cars, which made life difficult for him at Le Mans, as the fastest trucks in the world. And Bentley vehicles have always been heavy, but in the 1990s Bentley coupés were even heavier than ever before. In 1991, to the surprise of many visitors, a completely new Bentley Continental R was presented in Geneva for the second time since 1952. The coupé designed by John Heffernan and Ken Greenley was immediately well received and, despite its impressive dimensions (534.2 x 187 x 146.2 cm), it appeared elegant and not at all monumental. Even the aerodynamic drag of cW 0.385 was kept within limits, but at 2.4 tons, the car powered by a 6.75-litre V8 turbo engine was no lightweight. Around 320 hp provided propulsion to ensure that the car made good progress, which could be expected for DM 462,387 or CHF 376,850.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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