The
Bentley Continental GT has reinforced its status as the finest Grand Tourer ever produced by
claiming the outright record for a production car at the
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Colorado, USA.
Driven by
three-time champion, former 'King of the Mountain' Rhys Millen, the Continental GT conquered the
12.42-mile course in just
10 minutes, 18.488 seconds--taking 8.4 seconds off the previous record and
averaging an astonishing 70 mph (113 kph).
Climbing almost 5,000 feet through 156 bends, Millen combined his driving skills with the world's most advanced 12-cylinder engine to claim the coveted record. With the start line at 9,300 ft and climbing to 14,100 ft, the air is 1/3 less dense than at sea level.
Bentley's Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, says: "This new record once again proves that the spirit of endeavor and desire to push the boundaries of automotive performance remain at the beating heart of Bentley. It clearly demonstrates the Continental GT’s astonishing breadth of ability."
Millen said after his record run: "This is an amazing finish to a wet, snowy 2019 run at Pikes Peak! We came here with one goal in mind, and that was to be the fastest production car up the mountain and set a new record. It was an incredible week. Today was a challenge with what Mother Nature threw at us, but the Continental GT held strong all the way to the top, and we are now Number One."
Just 12 months ago, the
Bentley Bentayga demonstrated its outstanding performance credentials by claiming the
outright record for a production SUV on the Pikes Peak course. Again piloted by Millen, the world's most luxurious SUV completed the course in just
10 minutes, 49.9 seconds, taking nearly two minutes off the previous record.
