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  3. BENTLEY WORKS RACE CARS FROM PAST AND PRESENT RETURN TO LE MANS TO CELEBRATE CENTENARY

BENTLEY WORKS RACE CARS FROM PAST AND PRESENT RETURN TO LE MANS TO CELEBRATE CENTENARY

25 Jun 2023
  • On which car Bentley will enter the Le Mans Race?

The most famous race car of the modern Bentley era, the 2003 Speed 8, made its return to Le Mans recently to take part in the centenary celebrations of the ultimate motorsport marathon – the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The dynamic demonstration of the highly popular fan-favourite precedes the return of a new Works Bentley to Le Mans, with a pair of Blower Continuation Series cars to compete at this year’s Le Mans Classic.

Bentley Speed 8 chassis 004/5

Bentley Speed 8 chassis 004/5

The very same car that won the race in 2003 – Speed 8 chassis 004/5 – took to the track as part of a centenary parade. It was piloted by Guy Smith, the same driver who took the chequered flag 20 years ago, as the car turned a wheel at the circuit for the first time since. After being reunited with the car and completing two laps of the circuit, Guy commented:
“This car delivered Bentley’s first Le Mans victory since 1930, and became the springboard for my racing career, and so it’s incredibly special to me. While I’ve driven it a couple of times since 2003, this is the first time it’s been back to Le Mans and driving it here brought back so many memories and emotions. It feels exactly the same as it did when it crossed the line 20 years ago. Bentley is part of Le Mans, and Le Mans is part of Bentley, and it was an amazing weekend of celebrations of 100 years of history here.”
Le Mans Classic will then see a Works Bentley race at Le Mans for the first time since the victory in 2003 – as a pair of Blower Continuation Series cars take part in the Grid 1 race. Both the factory-owned Blower Car Zero and a customer car will be racing, with the former building on its recent first test race at Donington Park in the UK. The entries mark not only the first official Bentley entries to a Le Mans race since 2003, but also the return of a Works-supported Blower to the track for the first time since 1930, when the legend of the Bentley Blower was born.
As part of the rejuvenation of Bentley’s Heritage Collection, Speed 8 004/5 has recently undergone a complete rebuild to return it to as-new standard as it was before its most famous victory. The car is one of eight motorsport vehicles in the Heritage Collection, all of which are maintained in running order alongside the 37 road-going members of the fleet, all of which will be road legal by the end of the year.
The Speed 8 now stays at the circuit for the rest of June, on display in the Le Mans Museum until Le Mans Classic at the end of the month, where Bentley will have a significant presence and exhibition alongside the race programme. The Speed 8 will then make a number of other dynamic appearances this summer, before returning to Crewe to be positioned on display with its sister cars from 2001 and 2002, and the rest of the Bentley Heritage Collection, in three new and purpose-built areas that embed the fleet into any visit to Bentley’s campus.

Motor 283

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FORMULA E AND FIA UNVEIL GEN3 EVO RACE CAR CAPABLE OF 0-60MPH IN JUST 1.82s

30 Apr 2024
FORMULA E AND FIA UNVEIL GEN3 EVO RACE CAR CAPABLE OF 0-60MPH IN JUST 1.82s

Formula E and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) have today revealed the next generation of race car, the new all-electric GEN3 Evo, capable of 0-60mph in 1.82s.

Leveraging a roster of innovative technical upgrades, the GEN3 Evo unveiled at H.S.H Prince Albert II’s Private Car Collection will debut in Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship where some of the world’s greatest manufacturers and drivers race wheel-to-wheel in iconic locations around the globe.

Developed by specialists from Formula E and the FIA, the latest GEN3 Evo edition marks a significant leap in electric racing technology, with acceleration 0-60mph 30% faster than a current F1 car, and 36% faster than the GEN3 car.

Capable of accelerating nearly a full second faster than its predecessor – the GEN3 – that was the world’s first race car designed for street racing, it sets an even higher standard in performance, sustainability, and efficiency. The GEN3 Evo serves as a formidable ambassador for the future of motorsport, embodying cutting-edge advancements and a commitment to environmental responsibility.

ASPIRE to Launch Inaugural ‘Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League’ Redefining Future of Extreme Sport on April 27

25 Apr 2024
ASPIRE to Launch Inaugural ‘Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League’ Redefining Future of Extreme Sport on April 27

On Saturday, April 27th, Abu Dhabi will host a groundbreaking event, welcoming 10,000 spectators to witness the inaugural ASPIRE Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit. This brand-new autonomous racing competition marks a significant milestone in motorsport history, billed as the largest league of its kind globally.

Eight teams will compete: Code19 Racing (one of the first independent autonomous racing entity from the USA), Constructor University (based in Germany and Switzerland), Fly Eagle (representing Beijing Institute of Technology from China and Khalifa University from the UAE), HUMDA Lab (a member of the Széchenyi István University Group from Hungary), KINETIZ (a collaboration between Singapore Nanyang Technological University and Kintsugi based in the UAE), PoliMOVE (representing Politecnico di Milano from Italy), UNIMORE (also from Italy - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia), and Technical University of Munich - TUM (from Germany), vying for a substantial prize purse of US$ 2.25 million.

New Aston Martin Vantage GT3 targets victory in WEC and IMSA

21 Apr 2024
New Aston Martin Vantage GT3 targets victory in WEC and IMSA

Aston Martin’s new Vantage GT3 continues its hunt for glory in the world’s two most prestigious endurance racing series, as the FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC] and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship [IMSA] resume this weekend.

The WEC begins its European leg on Sunday with the 6 Hours of Imola (ITA), and an inaugural visit to one of the continent’s best-known circuits, before heading to Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) on 11 May, and then the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15-16 June. Meanwhile IMSA heads to the world famous Long Beach street track for its first sprint race (100 minutes) of the season. A second-place finish in the brand-new LMGT3 class for the Heart of Racing (HoR), and third for D’station Racing, made Aston Martin the only one of the nine GT manufacturers present to score a WEC double podium finish at the season-opening 1812km of Qatar in March. It means both teams arrive in Italy in strong form.