The Bentley Speed 8 is a LMP class race car that competed in the Le Mans series from 2001-2003. It has strong resemblence to and shares technical underpinings with the Audi R8. The Speed 8 marks Bentley's first return to racing after a 73-year absence. Bentleys winged B hood ornament The Bentley logo Bentley Motors Limited is a British based manufacturer of luxury automobiles and Grand Tourers. ... A Bentley Speed 8, winner of 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours. ... Le Mans is a city in France, located at the Sarthe River. ... Audi is an automobile maker in Germany, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. ... Audi will use the R8 name on two different automobiles, a racing car and a sports car. ...

Technical data

The most developed version of the Bentley Speed 8 was powered by a 4.0-liter V-8 producing 600 bhp mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and weighs 1984 lb (900 kg). The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration :See also V8 (beverage) A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... The horsepower (hp) is the name of several non-metric units of power. ... This is an article about manual transmission in general; for guidance on how to drive with a manual transmission, see Manual transmission driving technique. ...

Racing history

In 2001 Bentley returned to the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race, after a gap of 73 years, with the Speed 8. The car, an advanced closed-top sports-prototype, built to the ACO LM GTP regulations, had a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V-8 race engine from sister company Audi, who were campaigning their successful R8 prototype. Developing around 600 bhp, the Bentley achieved 105 mph in first gear, and went on to a top speed of over 220 mph. The two-car entry gained 3rd place in 2001, with the other car retiring in a fireball after a strong run in the wet. 4th place was achieved in 2002 with a lone entrant, powered by a 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 and carrying revised bodywork, with both 2001 and 2002 races being won by Audi. Being the only entrant in its class, the Speed 8 always finished 1st in LM GTP. 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... 1952 Le Mans race, depicted on cover of Auto Sport Review magazine The 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 heures du Mans) is the worlds most famous sports car endurance race, held annually at Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France, in the French Sarthe département. ... The Automobile Club de lOuest (of the West), also called Le ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... Audi is an automobile maker in Germany, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. ... Audi will use the R8 name on two different automobiles, a racing car and a sports car. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Turbocharger cutaway A turbocharger is an exhaust gas driven compressor used in internal-combustion engines to increase the power output of the engine by increasing the mass of oxygen entering the engine. ...

Bentley returned for one last attempt in 2003, with an all-new EXP Speed 8. New bodywork, new chassis, and much improved drive train. Starting from pole, the no. 7 car lead the field away at 1600 hours on Saturday, June 14th, and on it went, through the night, closely followed by the no. 8 car, which was only slowed by battery problems. 24 hours later, and after 377 rounds of the Circuit de La Sarthe, the green machine drove under the chequered flag--Bentley had won at Le Mans. 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Bentley Speed 8 photos and specifications