The most developed version of the Bentley Speed 8 was powered by a 4.0-liter V-8 producing 600 hp, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The car weighed 900 kg (1984 lb) in with the minimum weight mandated for the LM GTP class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
It had been rumoured that the Volkswagen Group intended the 2001 and 2002 events to be solely 'warm-up' races for Bentley so that the works Audi Sport Team Joest outfit could try and claim a hat trick of wins in 2000, 2001 and 2002 (which they did do, emphatically) and then leave Team Bentley to go for overall honours in 2003 after the works Audi team quit in 2002.
So, for 2003 Bentley returned for its final race with an all-new car simply called Speed 8, featuring new bodywork, new chassis, and a much-improved drive train. Starting from pole and with no works Audi team participating, the no. 7 car led the field away at 1600 hours on Saturday, June 14, 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 checkered flag: Bentley had won at Le Mans, and given the Volkswagen Group a remarkable 4th straight Le Mans victory.
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Source "Bentley Speed 8"
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