This is the Bentley Conti GT that will target a Pikes Peak record

Last year, Bentley took its Bentayga SUV to the famous Pikes Peak hill climb in Colorado – and it was really rather quick. In fact, the 2.4-tonne unit completed the 12.4-mile course in 10m 49.9s, taking nearly two minutes off the previous record for production SUVs.

And it seems as though that run gave the British marque a taste for success in America, because, as we told you back in March, it’ll now attempt to break the outright production car record when the International Hill Climb rolls around again at the end of this month.

Of course, the Bentayga isn’t the most ideal car for the job, so Bentley is set to deploy the very green Continental GT that you see above. What do you think of its paintjob?

The number 100 on the grille is a reference to Bentley’s centenary year too, so a record could be a nice little birthday present.

Whilst mechanical modifications aren’t allowed for production record attempts and we haven’t been able to see inside the car as of yet, we can imagine that the leathery interior has been stripped to within an inch of its life to save weight. There should also be a roll-cage and fire extinguisher added for safety reasons.

The current record and time to beat is 10m 26.9s, and the Conti will be driven by two-time King of the Hill and general Pikes Peak legend Rhys Millen. This is a guy who was also one of the stunt drivers in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift – which means he certainly has our backing.

So, now that you’ve seen it, do you think the big Bentley - with its 626bhp W12 engine - can take the title? Let us know in the comments below...