Race-inspired Bentley Continental GT3-R revealed

The Bentley Continental GT3-R is a stripped down version of the Continental coupe, which has been inspired by the company's race car.

The Continental GT3-R comes with a 572bhp 4.0-litre V8 engine that takes the car from 0-62mph in just 3.8 seconds - this makes it the fastest-accelerating Bentley ever, and means it is a full second faster than the standard Continental V8. It goes on to a top speed of 170mph.

As well as a 72bhp boost over the standard V8, the GT3-R's performance is further enhanced by the loss of 100kg and a series of sports-focused enhancements.

It gets lightweight 21-inch alloy wheels, a torque-vectoring system that can control the level of torque sent to each rear wheel, and an all-new titanium exhaust system. As well as enhancing the car's noise, the exhaust also saves 7kg.

Bentley has also further differentiated the Drive and Sport driving modes, to allow the GT3-R to be driven as a refined Grand Tourer or in a more sport-orientated manner.

The GT3-R is finished in white, with green and gloss-black details and GT3-R stickers. It also gets a large rear spoiler and a pair of air intakes on the front bonnet. Inside, carbonfibre is used on the door casings, centre console and fascia, while the seats are finished in Beluga leather and Alcantara. The weight saving is largely down to the removal of the rear seats, and the rear cabin is also trimmed in carbonfibre and leather.

Only 300 of the GT3-Rs will be sold, and it is available to order now, with first cars set to be delivered by the end of 2014. Final pricing will be confirmed at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, but it is expected to cost around £240,000.