Volkswagen wasn’t the only company setting records at Pikes Peak over the weekend. Its subsidiary, Bentley, also had a go, and captured a record of its own with the Bentayga.
We told you back in January about the plan to take on the record for the quickest SUV up Pikes Peak. At the time, it seemed strange — and a bit pointless. But any run at a record is worth noting, no matter how ridiculous.
Before it set off on Sunday, the Bentayga had a target time of 12:35.6. This comes from a record set by Paul Dallenbach in a 2014 Range Rover Sport.
In order to get the Bentayga race ready, Bentley needed to make some tweaks. To get it up to spec for the Race to the Clouds, Bentley fitted the Bentayga with some important safety gear. This included things like a fire suppression system and a roll cage. Also, the company swapped out the seats for a pair of racing ones — with the back seats removed entirely, to make space for the cage.
However, for the most part, the vehicle was completely stock. This meant that the 6.0-liter W12 under the hood — worth 600hp, with 664lbft of torque — remained the same. However, the big Bentley did get a production-spec Akrapovic exhaust. Fortunately, this is available for order through dealers so it falls under the stock category.
Finally, to handle all the weight, the Bentayga also got a set of different Pirelli tires.
The driver for the run was none other than Rhys Millen, who’s no stranger to Pikes Peak records. Back in 2016, he set the fastest record in the electric e0 PP100 – which is what the VW I.D. R beat this weekend.
The final time for the Bentayga was fairly impressive too. It scaled the mountain in just 10:49.9. That’s nearly two minutes quicker than the previous record.
While this time surprised us, it didn’t appear to surprise Bentley. Almost immediately after smashing the record, it announced a limited edition Bentayga to celebrate. Now that’s the level of confidence we like to see!
The new car wears the name Bentayga Pikes Peak Limited Edition. We know, it’s not very inspiring, but the vehicle itself makes up for that.
The most noticeable thing is the paint; it’s a yellow-green in-your-face bright color called Radium. The 22-inch wheels are also the same shade of green too. If you want to be boring, you can also have it in black.
Other changes on the exterior include various bits of carbon fiber trim. Also, Bentley has placed the Pikes Peak logo on the fender, just to let everyone know it’s the quickest up the mountain.
On the inside, the Pikes Peak Limited Edition is a step up from the record car, and just as plush as the standard Bentayga. There’s more carbon fiber though and even more bright green to complement it. Also on the passenger side dash, there’s a map of the 12.42-mile track.
If you want one of these Pikes Peak editions, you’ll need to act fast. Right now Bentley is limiting production to just 10 vehicles. No word on price, but since the standard Bentayga starts at $229,100 it’s probably not going to be cheap.
See more articles on Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2018.
