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Bentley Speed 8 Prototype Le Mans

Bentley Speed 8
Bentley Speed 8
Bentley first introduced the Speed 8 prototype at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2001. The results were good because it was the first attempt. Drivers Eric Van de Poele, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace placed Bentley third in the overall table and first in the LM GTP category.

For 2002, the designer of Speed 8, Peter Elleray, made some minor modifications following the previous experience. The Bentley Speed 8 finished fourth in a race dominated by the Audi R8 who took the top three places.

Finally the glory came in 2003. Bentley introduced two cars and ranked first and second. The English team dominated the race from end to end, during the 24 hours.

The winning car was No. 7 driven by drivers Tom Kristensen, Rinaldo Capello and Guy Smith. The Bentley No. 8 in Second place featured David Brabham and experienced former Formula 1 drivers Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell.

Bentley Speed 8 2003 Technical Specifications

Bentley Speed 8
Bentley Speed 8
+ V8 core engine at 90° BiTurbo + 32 DOHC valves + 2 Twin Turbochargers with limited pressure to 1.87 bar (by regulation) + Electronic management: Bosch MS 2.8 + Displacement: 4.000 cm3 + Xtrac 6-speed sequential transmission and Megaline pneumatic actuation + Power: 615 hp + Torque: 590 lbs ft at 7,500 rpm

  • Carbon Fiber Monocoque with Aluminum Honeycomb Core
  • Suspensions: Double fuses, torsion bars and telescopic shock absorbers
  • Brakes: carbon fiber vented discs with six-piston jaws
  • Front brake diameter: 376 mm
  • Rear brake diameter: 355 mm
  • Wheels: Magnesium O.Z.
  • Front: 12.25 x 18”
  • Rear: 13 x 18”

  • Tyres: Michelin radial

  • Length: 4.640 mm

  • Width: 1.990 mm
  • Wheelbase: 2.740 mm
  • Fuel tank: 90 litres
  • Weight: approx. 915 kg

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© Adrián Blanco 2006 — Prohibited the total or partial reproduction of text and/or images without explicit written consent of the author. —

por Adrian Blanco