BENTLEY COMPLETA CON LA SERIE DE CONTINUACIÓN SPEED SIX LA FINAL EN GOODWOOD
Car Zero, the main engineering test prototype of the Speed Six Continuation Series, has passed a gruelling series of tests on the dyno and racetrack, both with flying colours. Work now starts on the twelve customer cars, each of which will be trimmed and finished to its owner’s specifications from a choice of period-correct finishes and materials.
Alpine passes, pavé and unmetalled roads
Following an initial 1,000-kilometre shakedown local to Mulliner’s base in Crewe, Car Zero faced its next challenge; 8,000 km of intensive mileage accumulation at Millbrook Proving Ground. The test schedule included Belgian pavé, the sinuous Alpine course and multiple Vmax (top speed) test runs, as well as unmetalled surfaces of a kind that would have been familiar to Bentley drivers of the 1920s. By the end of the test programme Car Zero had covered 11,700 km of intensive test mileage, enough for ten return journeys from Crewe to Le Mans, and the equivalent of 30,000 km in normal driving.
Six races in one session
Mileage accumulation complete, Car Zero was then passed to a team of pro drivers. Lapping Goodwood Motor Circuit at race speeds, Car Zero covered 500 km and 130 laps in a single session – equivalent to running six consecutive Vintage races at the Goodwood Revival. Throughout the test session, Car Zero performed impeccably, consistently matching recent Goodwood lap times of original pre-war Bentleys. Like Car Zero, all customer Speed Sixes will be scrutineered by Motorsport UK to the FIA Appendix K regulations, confirming that they have been produced authentically and are eligible to compete in the relevant competitions.
20 hour engine test - twice
The 6,597cc straight six engine of the Speed Six was designed by W.O. Bentley and powered the most successful Bentley race car of the Cricklewood era (1921-31). In period it developed around 200 brake horsepower, and the Mulliner team was at pains to follow the original specification and drawings exactly, creating the first brand new Speed Six engine in nearly 100 years from over 600 new components including engine block. The Mulliner Classic team had access to Crewe’s state-of-the art engine dynamometers and, working with the engineering team responsible for the new Continental GT’s 782 PS Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain, devised a continuous 20-hour dyno test programme covering a range of engine speeds and loads. Even after two test cycles and 40 hours running, the new Speed Six engine delivered the set power and torque targets with total reliability.
Alpine passes, pavé and unmetalled roads
Following an initial 1,000-kilometre shakedown local to Mulliner’s base in Crewe, Car Zero faced its next challenge; 8,000 km of intensive mileage accumulation at Millbrook Proving Ground. The test schedule included Belgian pavé, the sinuous Alpine course and multiple Vmax (top speed) test runs, as well as unmetalled surfaces of a kind that would have been familiar to Bentley drivers of the 1920s. By the end of the test programme Car Zero had covered 11,700 km of intensive test mileage, enough for ten return journeys from Crewe to Le Mans, and the equivalent of 30,000 km in normal driving.
Six races in one session
Mileage accumulation complete, Car Zero was then passed to a team of pro drivers. Lapping Goodwood Motor Circuit at race speeds, Car Zero covered 500 km and 130 laps in a single session – equivalent to running six consecutive Vintage races at the Goodwood Revival. Throughout the test session, Car Zero performed impeccably, consistently matching recent Goodwood lap times of original pre-war Bentleys. Like Car Zero, all customer Speed Sixes will be scrutineered by Motorsport UK to the FIA Appendix K regulations, confirming that they have been produced authentically and are eligible to compete in the relevant competitions.
20 hour engine test - twice
The 6,597cc straight six engine of the Speed Six was designed by W.O. Bentley and powered the most successful Bentley race car of the Cricklewood era (1921-31). In period it developed around 200 brake horsepower, and the Mulliner team was at pains to follow the original specification and drawings exactly, creating the first brand new Speed Six engine in nearly 100 years from over 600 new components including engine block. The Mulliner Classic team had access to Crewe’s state-of-the art engine dynamometers and, working with the engineering team responsible for the new Continental GT’s 782 PS Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain, devised a continuous 20-hour dyno test programme covering a range of engine speeds and loads. Even after two test cycles and 40 hours running, the new Speed Six engine delivered the set power and torque targets with total reliability.