A few things set the 4.0-liter V8's power delivery apart from that of the street car. For starters, the engine, which is capped at 600 horsepower in race spec, feels like its twin turbochargers spool more quickly and seamlessly, almost masking the fact that there's any forced induction. The race engine seems to wind up more eagerly, as if the drastic weight loss includes a big reduction in rotational mass. Maximum revs aren't particularly high – after all, Bentley has always been known for low-revving torqueiness, not screaming redlines – but keeping an eye on the progressive shift lights keeps you from bouncing off the rev limiter like an amateur. It takes a firm stab of the middle pedal to slow the car down, but the unboosted brakes have breathtaking stopping power when you get into them. It stops just as effectively as it goes, maybe even better.
Once you get a feel for how authoritatively it can decelerate, the GT3 can be driven with more anger leading into corners. Don't overdo it with the stoppers, and there's a shocking amount of cornering grip thanks to the car's tremendous downforce and sticky race slicks. The disconnect between expecting the car to fly off the track and its insistence to stay grounded requires a leap of faith. But once you've conquered the fear of failure, the GT3 manages to guide itself through high-speed corners with a level of adhesion that simply cannot be matched by street cars, which are invariably tuned for aerodynamic neutrality not downforce.
Another curious thing about racecars: the faster they go, the more natural they feel. While upshifts are clunky at low speeds, they're bang bang fast when you're cooking; the GT3's brakes squeak and moan at piddling velocities, but clamp down for real when you're flying. Try to drive a competitive racecar slowly, and you're punished with the ignominy of looking graceless and hamfisted. Push it to wring out its performance, and it makes you look good, as long as you don't push too far.
(AutoBlog.com)
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