Bentley is adding a new Supersports model to its Continental GT line, but this time it’s done in a very different way. The purest version gets rid of the plug-in hybrid drivetrain and replaces it with a straight-up V-8 engine. It also gets rear-wheel drive. The initial Supersports units are scheduled for delivery at the beginning of 2027. A total of 500 will be built, and each one will cost more than $486,000. When the latest version of the Bentley Continental GT gets a Supersports edition, it wants more than just more V-max and power. The last time the Supersports brand was seen was in 2017–2018. It was the fastest version of the Continental GT from the previous model. It came as both a coupe and a convertible, and was driven by Bentley’s W-12 engine with 700 horsepower and turbochargers. The Continental GT had a Supersports version with a 621-hp W-12 engine, offered from 2009 to 2012. The back seat was taken out to save weight, so the new Supersports, like its straight predecessors, can only fit two people. But this time, the desire for less fat went further than that. A long way away. The new Supersports are defined by what they include and what they don’t. The Supersports doesn’t have a plug-in hybrid motor like the regular Continental GT. Instead, it has a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine. What happens to the power? Excellent question. It now has 657 horsepower, which is 66 more than the twin-turbo V-8 in the Conti GT. But the hybrid engine, which has an electric motor, makes more power overall. The base Conti GT has 671 horsepower, while the Speed and Mulliner models have 771 horsepower. But hold on, we haven’t yet reached the most amazing number in any sport. Since 2003, when the name was brought back to life, this Supersports is the only Continental GT that has only rear-wheel drive. The V-8’s 590 pound-feet of torque is sent to the rear axle through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission designed to shift gears more quickly. The brakes control the limited-slip differential, and the torque is sent to different wheels. There’s more. An Akrapovič titanium exhaust system was put in place of the carbon-silicon-carbide brakes. The Supersports are the only ones with the chassis’s three drive modes—Touring, Bentley, and Sport. The four-wheel steering, air springs, and Bentley’s 48-volt active anti-roll bars have also been kept. Bentley also reduced body weight by adding a carbon-fiber panel to the top. All of the carbon fiber parts are in the lower front fascia, the fixed rear wing, and the back diffuser. The sound system has been tweaked to work with the two-seater car, the seats are lighter (but still heated and power-adjustable), and there is less soundproofing. The first-generation Supersports weighed 5,000 pounds, even though it was 220 pounds lighter than similar cars of the time. The second-generation model, on the other hand, weighed more than 2.5 tons. This new model is 1000 pounds lighter than the 2015 Continental GT Speed, which, according to our measures, weighed 5415 pounds. Its curb weight is said to be less than 4400 pounds. Bentley says the new Supersports will go from 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds. The current Continental GT Speed can hit 60 mph in 2.7 seconds, while the Supersports is expected to do it in 3.3 seconds. The maker says the Supersports can reach 192 mph, and the GT Speed can reach 208 mph. On the other hand, going straight isn’t the main goal of this Supersports; that’s the GT Speed. Instead, it has changed its approach, which makes it the most interesting Continental GT of our time. Bentley plans to make a total of 500 Continental GT Supersports. The one-of-a-kind model will be sold in the US and other countries. Before the end of 2027, the first sales should happen. Production should start in the fourth quarter of this year. Bentley says the supercar’s price will exceed $486,000.
