Safari builds are cool as hell. We know that. But also, after seeing Porsches, Lamborghinis, Hondas, and Datsuns get the treatment, it’s not as fresh and exciting as it once was. So forget, for a moment, the soft-roading, rally-style safari cars popularized over the last few years. Turn your attention to the next frontier: badass ice racing builds, like this factory-built Bentley Continental GT.
The Bentley, which I’m categorizing as an Arctic exploration build, was created for the Zell am See ice race, where it’ll be driven by rally champion Catie Munnings. To better handle ice-racing duties, the all-wheel-drive Bentley has been lifted and fitted with wider arches to accommodate an 0.6-inch increase in track width. Studded Pirelli Scorpion tires increase grip on the ice, while Lazer high-performance lights tucked behind the grille light up icy tracks.
Richard Pardon/Bentley
The exhaust is also a custom unit from Akrapovič, while the roof rack is custom built for this project. It holds a pair of Bomber skis, as the two companies partnered together on this build. There’s also a cage, and there are a few safety upgrades, but the rest of the running gear is stock Bentley equipment. That means the ice racing car has the Continental GT’s normal 626-hp 6.0-liter W-12 engine, iron brakes, 48-volt active anti-roll system, and air suspension.
Richard Pardon/Bentley
Finally, the livery is specially made for this Arctic Bomber Bentley. It’s a fantastic light-blue-on-black scheme, with abstract snowy mountain graphics similar to those on the record-setting Pikes Peak Bentley with its two-tone green-and-black design. But the ice-racing Bentley goes harder, with its aggressive off-road vibe and wheels that mirror the livery, with blue at the front and black in the back. This is a one-off, but since Bentley made a production special edition out of its Pikes Peak car, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a tamer version of this sold to customers in the near future.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
