In early June this year, Bentley announced plans to tackle the record for a faster production vehicle at the Pikes Peak this year. Honestly, we were quite surprised to hear that by the automaker as it isn’t exactly known for seeking out and setting new performance records. It turns out Bentley was actually dead serious about its intentions and the job is now done – the Continental GT claimed the outright record for a production car at the hill climb race on Sunday, 30th of June.

The numbers from the record run are in, and they are all good. The car was driven by “King of the Mountain” Rhys Millen, who managed to cover the 12.42-mile course in just 10:18.488 minutes. To put that number into perspective, that’s 8.4 seconds faster than the previous record and represents an average speed of approximately 70 mph.

Gallery: Bentley Continental GT Pikes Peak record

“This is an amazing finish to a wet, snowy 2019 run at Pikes Peak,” Millen’s first words were after the record run. “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.”

The start line of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is at 9,300 ft (2,835 metres) and the course climbs roughly 5,000 ft (1,524 metres) through 156 corners. At the top, the air is one-third less dense than at sea level, which definitely puts the 12-cylinder engine under pressure for fresh air. Despite that, the Conti GT used for the record is in stock form with no modifications to the 626-bhp W12.

“This new record once again proves that the spirit of endeavour 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,” Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, added.

Gallery: Bentley Continental GT Pikes Peak

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(Crewe, 1 July 2019) 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, 30th of June, 2019 in Colorado, USA.

Driven by three-time champion, former “King of the Mountain’ Rhys Millen (NZ), the Continental GT conquered the 12.42-mile course in just 10:18.488 taking 8.4 seconds off the previous record and averaging an astonishing 70 mph.

Climbing almost 5,000ft 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 endeavour 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 10:49.9, taking nearly two minutes off the previous record.

100 Years Of Extraordinary

The record run, on one of the world’s most challenging motorsport courses, is the latest highlight of Bentley’s centenary year. From motorsport records, through to the incredibly powerful road cars of the modern era, all of Bentley’s extraordinary cars have innovation hand-built into them. 10th July 2019 marks Bentley’s 100th year - an incredible milestone achieved by only a few companies.

A year-long series of special activities continues during 2019, with celebrations at other events around the world. They will showcase Bentley’s motoring evolution over the last 100 years, highlighting its global success today and the exciting future of innovation ahead.