Le Mans 24 hrs Bentley Speed 8 2003 show car
For their assault on Le Mans in 2003, the Volkswagen-Audi Group directed all efforts towards the Bentleys, leveraging the same expertise that propelled Audi to victory in previous years. This involved the formidable Team Joest and standout Audi drivers like Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen.
The outcome was a commanding 1-2 finish at Le Mans, with the #7 car piloted by Rinaldo Capello, Tom Kristensen, and Guy Smith taking the top spot. Following closely was the #8 Bentley driven by Mark Blundell, David Brabham, and Johnny Herbert.
On February 4th, 2003, in London, the Bentley Speed 8 Le Mans GT prototype slated for races at Sebring and Le Mans was unveiled as a truly new car. Despite the remarkable success of the previous two generations of Speed 8, which propelled Bentley back to the Le Mans podium in 2003, it was deemed necessary to adopt a fresh approach for the final year of the three-year program.
While the car retains its enclosed bodywork, placing it in a class of its own, and maintains its 4-liter capacity engine with direct fuel injection and twin turbochargers, it has been redesigned from the ground up in all other significant aspects.
The design concept aimed to maximize airflow over the body, particularly to the rear wing. To achieve this, the external cockpit area has been significantly reduced, while maintaining interior space, resulting in a smaller aerodynamic profile and allowing for a more streamlined engine cover.
This Le Mans show car has been built, with a fiberglass parts, real race wheels and race tyres to the untrained eye this is a Le Mans car, it cannot be made into a race-ready car and for display use only.
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