New Bentley Continental GT Supersports is a back-to-basics, rear-wheel drive, 657bhp brute

Behold, the new Bentley Continental GT Supersports: the lightest, most driver-focused version of the legendary Continental GT ever produced, and the first to send all its power exclusively to the rear wheels.

The idea of a sub-two-tonne, rear-wheel-drive Continental GT like this came from a small team of engineers, Bentley says. A focused unit quietly developed Crewe’s answer to the Aston Martin Vanquish under the codename ‘Project Mildred’, in honour of the racing driver and speedboat racer Mildred Mary Petre who set endurance race records in a Bentley 4 ½ litre back in 1929.

At less than two tonnes, the new Supersports is nearly 500kg lighter than any other version of the latest Continental GT. Largely because it ditches their plug-in hybrid system, with all its batteries and e-motors, as well as all-wheel drive. 

Instead, the Supersports goes back to basics and just uses a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that’s been beefed up with larger turbochargers, new cylinder heads and a stronger crank case. The result is 657bhp – or a rather demonic 666PS in metric horsepower – and 800Nm of torque. Plus the highest energy density of any Bentley engine to date at 164bhp per litre. 

The last, most extreme Bentley was the motorsports-inspired Continental GT3-R from 2014 and its twin-turbo V8 could ‘only’ muster 572bhp. It also weighed nearly 2.2 tonnes and didn’t ditch the all-wheel drive. 

The ZF eight-speed dual-clutch transmission found in other Bentleys – a selection of which are available on the Auto Express Buy A Car service – has also been upgraded, so gearchanges are now sharper and more responsive, and downshifting while braking shouldn't disrupt the car’s stability. 

0-62mph takes 3.7 seconds, Bentley claims – 0.5 seconds slower than the plug-in hybrid GT Speed – and top speed is around 193mph.

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Rear-wheel drive handling

Power is fed to the rear wheels via an electronically controlled limited-slip differential (eLSD), working together with a torque vectoring by braking system and rear-wheel steering to make the Supersports turn in as sharply as possible, and maximise traction and agility. The rear track has also been widened by 16mm, and the steering, twin-chamber air suspension and traction control have been calibrated.

For stopping power, the Supersports uses the largest brake system on any road car, consisting of 440mm carbon-silicon-carbide discs with 10-piston calipers up front, and 410mm discs with four-piston calipers at the rear. Those are wrapped within new 22-inch forged and machined aluminium alloy wheels developed in collaboration with Manthey Racing.

Bentley says if customers opt for the ultra-high-performance Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres, the Supersports can corner roughly 30 per cent quicker than a Continental GT Speed, and reach up to 1.3g in lateral forces. However, the company says the Supersports can also deliver big slides when the traction control is fully off.

The bellow of the cross-plane V8 will echo through a bespoke titanium exhaust system designed with help from Akrapovič. It’s supposed to deliver a “deep, characterful and completely authentic” soundtrack, and better still, Bentley says no kind of artificial enhancement will be pumped into the cabin.

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Aerodynamics and design details

To reduce the weight even more, the roof, the front bumper with its enormous splitter and dive planes, side sills, rear diffuser and the fixed one-piece spoiler on the bootlid are all made from carbon fibre. 

The aggressive bodykit not only gives the new Supersports a suitably brutish look, it allows the car to produce more than 300kg more downforce than the Continental GT Speed. The enormous intakes in the bumper also feed cool air to the front brakes and the engine, while the B-shaped blades behind the front wheels channel airflow down the sides of the car.

Like the Continental GT3-R that came before, the new Supersports is only a two-seater, with a carbon-fibre tub where the rear seats would normally be. There’s more carbon fibre on the dashboard and inside the lightweight, more heavily bolstered seats that have been mounted lower in the car for a more focused driving experience. This being a Bentley, though, there’s plenty of exquisite leather in this cabin, too.

Only 500 Bentley Supersports will be made, with order books set to open next March. Production will begin before the end of 2026 and the first examples will be delivered to their lucky owners at the start of 2027.

Bentley CEO Dr Frank-Steffen 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”. He added, “Bentley has always thrived when revealing a more daring side, and the new Supersports is a statement of our intent while celebrating 100 years of the name.”

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