New rear-wheel drive Continental Supersports is the most ‘Hell Yeah, Brother’ Bentley ever – Jalopnik

In 2009, six years after production of the first generation Bentley Continental GT, the British automaker introduced the Continental Supersports, an unexpected model that really set Bentley on a more performance-oriented course. Bentley has improved the W12 car, reducing its weight and adding all kinds of nice features, such as bucket seats with carbon fiber backrests from the Bugatti Veyron. The Supersports had a completely different, much less Bentley-like character than the standard Continental, and it was simply amazing. At the end of production of the second generation Conti in 2017, Bentley introduced a new Supersports variant, with the same kind of upgrades as the original and styling drawn from the then GT3 race car. That Supersports was cool too, but didn’t have the same impact as the original.

Ever since the current generation Continental GT debuted in 2018, I’ve been patiently waiting for Bentley to come out with a new Supersport. That time has finally arrived and the new Continental Supersports is even more extreme than I had hoped. Not only is it ditching the plug-in hybrid system from the facelifted Conti, 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 weighs less than two tonnes, all with the aim of making the car as engaging and fun to drive as possible. To put it succinctly, this is the most “hell yes, brother” Bentley yet.

Walliser says the new Supersports “marks a return to Bentley making more extreme cars – cars that combine extraordinary capability with real driver involvement, while keeping the pieces of automotive artwork unique and tailor-made for each customer.” Only 500 of the Supersports will be made, and owners can choose which number they want, with that number displayed on a plaque on the dashboard.

To handle all that movement going only to the rear wheels, the ZF 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission gets new clutches and updated programming for sharper and more responsive upshifts and greater stability when downshifting under braking. Bentley says the Supersports will run from 0 to 62mph in 3.7 seconds, which is damn fast for a rear-wheel drive car: that’s just two-tenths of the base PHEV, and three-tenths faster than the old V8 AWD model. The top speed is 300 km/h.

Drivers can switch from fully engaging the ESC to a dynamic mode that “allows a degree of slip and oversteer within reactive limits” to disabling it completely, where the car can be “provoked into significant but highly controllable oversteer.” The car’s Touring driving mode is similar to the Sport mode in normal Continental GTs, but with softer damping and a quieter exhaust note; Bentley mode sharpens the responses of the powertrain and chassis as the exhaust valves open, and Sport mode is even more intense. New 22-inch wheels have been developed with Manthey Racing, and customers can choose between standard Pirelli P-Zero tires or a new Trofeo RS option, the latter of which allows the Supersports to corner 30% faster than a GT Speed ​​PHEV, with a maximum lateral force of 1.3g.

Bentley

Bentley says the Supersports is “almost half a ton” (about 1,102 pounds) lighter than the regular Continental GT, but that’s because it’s being compared to the new, heavier PHEVs. Still, it will be the first Continental GT to weigh less than two tons, more than 300 pounds less than the pre-facelift Continental GT with its non-hybrid V8. The Supersports’ roof is carbon fiber instead of aluminum, the rear seat has been removed, there’s less sound insulation in the cabin, the audio system has been redesigned for front passengers only and Bentley has ditched some driver assistance systems.

Bentley says that none of these parts are here purely for aesthetic reasons; all these modifications increase downforce by more than 661 pounds compared to the Continental GT Speed. They also help with dynamic weight distribution, which is 54:46 when the car is stationary, but gradually moves rearward as the car picks up speed. 24 ‘performance’ colors will be available at launch, along with five design themes featuring contrasting colors and painted stripes. Of course you can also create custom specifications in any color you want.

Bentley

While not discussing pricing yet, Bentley says order books will open in March, with production starting in the fourth quarter of 2026 and first deliveries beginning in early 2027. Besides being limited to just 500 cars, it won’t be available everywhere. The company says the Supersports will be sold in the US, UK, Europe (EU27 plus Switzerland and Turkey), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Oman, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar and Kuwait.