Six racing-inspired Bentleys go on sale

Bentley Motors, the supercar unit of German carmaker Volkswagen, launched the new Continental GT3-R, a race-inspired limited edition supercar, in Seoul on Tuesday.

“We only sell six Bentley GT3-R vehicles in Korea with a price tag of 380 million won ($349,800),” the company said. The model, launched in 2014, is a limited-edition vehicle with just 300 units.

The Continental GT3-R boasts a 580 horsepower output from its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, while the car itself weighs 100 kg less, meaning that the supercar is the fastest-accelerating Bentley ever. The GT3-R is able to reach 100 km from a standstill in just 3.6 seconds.

Behind the arrival of one of Bentley’s most expensive models is the growing demand for rare driving experiences among the Korean superrich.

“More supercar brands worth more than 200 million won will arrive in Korea this year,” an industry insider said.

Last year, Bentley sold a record high of 322 units in Korea, almost double the 164 units in 2013.

Besides German supercar brands like Bentley and Lamborghini, other European brands like British luxury brands McLaren and Aston Martin will join the race. Both brands will step up their sales activities, opening their first showrooms in Seoul this year.

By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)