Back in 2009, a half-dozen years into the first-generation Bentley Continental GT‘s production run, the British automaker introduced the Continental Supersports, an unexpected model that really set Bentley on a more performance-oriented course. Bentley tuned up the car’s W12, cut down its hefty curb weight, and fitted it with all sorts of fun features like carbon-backed bucket seats taken from the Bugatti Veyron. The Supersports had a totally different, much less Bentley-like character than the standard Continental, and it was simply awesome. At the end of the second-gen Conti’s production in 2017 Bentley introduced a new Supersports variant, with the same sort of upgrades as the original and styling that pulled from the then-in-competition GT3 race car. That Supersports was cool too, but it didn’t have the same impact as the original.
Since the current-generation Continental GT debuted in 2018, I’ve been waiting patiently for Bentley to come out with another Supersports. That time has finally arrived, and the new Continental Supersports is even more extreme than I hoped. Not only does it ditch the facelifted Conti’s plug-in-hybrid system, but for the first time in the model’s history this new Supersports is rear-wheel drive, and it’s also the first time the Continental GT has weighed less than two metric tonnes, all done with the goal of the car being as engaging and fun to drive as possible. Put succinctly, this is the most “hell yeah, brother” Bentley yet.
Developed in secret
The new Supersports was the first project overseen from start to finish by chairman and CEO Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, who joined the company last year after working in new vehicle development at Porsche. A small team of Bentley engineers first had the idea for a lighter rear-drive Continental in September 2024, and after approval was given to build a test mule, a car hit the track just six weeks later. That prototype’s performance was apparently so convincing that the car was green-lit, with the project being kept under close guard.
Walliser says the new Supersports “signifies a return to Bentley making more extreme cars – ones that combine extraordinary breadth of ability with true driver engagement, while remaining pieces of automotive artwork unique and bespoke to each customer.” Only 500 of the Supersports will be made, and owners will be able to pick which number they want, with that number displayed on a plaque on the dashboard.
It’s still quick as hell
With its facelift for 2025 the Continental GT dropped not only the optional W12 but also the base twin-turbo V8, replacing them both with a plug-in-hybrid powertrain using that V8 in different states of tune. For the new Supersports, though, that hybrid system is tossed out the window. Like with the new Bentayga Speed you get a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, but thanks to bigger turbos, a stronger crankcase and uprated cylinder heads, the Supersports is even more powerful, making 657 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. That’s a pretty impressive output given that the entry-level PHEV has 671 hp and 685 lb-ft, and the now-discontinued nonhybrid V8 only put out 542 hp and 568 lb-ft. Unique to the Supersports is a titanium exhaust developed with Akrapovič that is “deep, powerful and completely authentic” — no piped-in or artificial noise here.
To handle all that twist going to just the rear wheels, the ZF 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission gets new clutches and updated programming for upshifts that are sharper and more responsive and increased stability when downshifting under braking. Bentley says the Supersports will run from 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds, which is damn quick for a rear-wheel-drive car — that’s just two tenths off the base PHEV, and it’s three-tenths quicker than the old V8 AWD model. Top speed is 192 mph.
The lightest Continental GT ever
An electronic limited-slip differential at the rear is augmented by brake-based torque vectoring, and the Supersports retains the normal Continental’s rear-wheel-steering system. The rear track is 0.6 inch wider, and the steering, suspension, and traction and stability control systems get unique calibration. Bentley’s excellent Dynamic Ride 48-volt electric anti-roll system is included, and the air springs have new twin-chamber dampers that have independently controlled bump and rebound. Also present are the largest brakes of any car on sale, with 17.3-inch discs and 10-piston calipers up front, and 16.1-inch discs with four-piston calipers in the rear.
Drivers can go from having the ESC totally on, to a Dynamic mode that “allows a level of slip and oversteer within reactive limits,” to turning it off completely, where the car can be “provoked into significant but highly controllable oversteer.” The car’s Touring drive mode is equivalent to Sport mode in normal Continental GTs, but with softer damping and a quieter exhaust note; Bentley mode sharpens up powertrain and chassis responses while opening the exhaust valves, and the Sport mode is even more intense. New 22-inch wheels were developed with Manthey Racing, and customers can choose between standard Pirelli P-Zero tires or a new Trofeo RS option, the latter of which make the Supersports able to corner 30% quicker than a GT Speed PHEV, pulling up to 1.3 g in peak lateral force.
Bentley
Bentley says the Supersports is “nearly half a tonne” (about 1,102 pounds) lighter than the normal Continental GT, but then that’s because it’s being compared to the new heavier PHEVs. Still, it’ll be the first Continental GT to weigh less than 4,409 pounds (two tonnes), more than 300 pounds less than the pre-facelift Continental GT with its nonhybrid V8. The Supersports’ roof is carbon fiber instead of aluminum, the rear seats have been deleted, there’s less cabin sound insulation, the audio system was redesigned for just the front passengers, and Bentley ditched some of the driver-assistance systems.
Functional aerodynamics
Looking at the Supersports’ exterior, there’s no denying it’s Bentley’s most outrageous design yet. Its grille is laser-cut from fine aluminum, and the front bumper has a carbon-fiber splitter, the brand’s largest ever. Two cooling channels on each side of the bumper feed air to the brakes and engine, and stacked dive planes ahead of the front wheels reduce lift. B-shaped fender blades just behind the front wheels extract high-pressure air and manage flow along the body, and more dramatic side skirts run the length of the wheelbase. At the rear there’s a new diffuser, a new bumper with vents in the wheel arches, and a fixed spoiler on top of the trunk lid.
Bentley says none of those parts are here simply for aesthetic reasons — all of those modifications increase downforce by more than 661 pounds compared to the Continental GT Speed. They also help with a dynamic weight distribution, which is at 54:46 when the car is stopped but gradually moves rearward as the car gains speed. 24 “performance-focused” colors will be available at launch, along with five Design Themes that feature contrasting colors and painted stripes. Of course, you’ll also be able to do custom specs in whatever color you want.
First deliveries are more than a year out.
The driver and passenger get new lightweight seats with more prominent side bolsters, mounted lower in the cabin. Don’t worry, they’re still 11-way adjustable and are heated. In place of the deleted rear seats is a wraparound carbon-fiber panel with leather accents that’s nicely integrated in the interior design. As standard you get carbon-fiber trim (two kinds of aluminum or piano black is optional), a combination of leather and Dinamica suede, and plenty of Supersports badges. Bentley will offer 22 main hide colors, 11 secondary hide colors, and 9 accent hide colors, and there will be single-tone, duo-tone, and tri-tone color splits.
Bentley
While it isn’t talking price yet, Bentley says that order books will open in March, with production starting in Q4 2026 and first deliveries commencing at the start of 2027. In addition to being limited to just 500 cars, it won’t be available everywhere — the company says the Supersports will be sold in the U.S., the UK, Europe (EU27 plus Switzerland and Turkey), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Oman, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar and Kuwait.
