Bentley GTC Supersports ISR

With its brash exterior and booming exhaust note, the Supersports ISR will have Bentley traditionalists wincing. But with a new GTC available, this is a fitting send-off for the old car. Everything about it is huge – the price, weight, performance, grip and noise. The only small aspect is the production run of 100.

The Continental GTC Supersports ISR is the Bentley that can’t stop breaking records. Built to commemorate Juha Kankkunen’s 205mph ice speed record (hence ISR) on a frozen stretch of the Baltic Sea last year, it’s the most powerful Bentley ever, the most expensive Continental ever and the fastest convertible that the company has built to date.

It’s also the most garish, with red Supersports ISR graphics on the flanks, red bonnet vents and 20-inch red wheels available as an option. Fortunately, our test car was fitted with more subtle dark wheels and painted in Beluga Black. Arctica White and Quartzite Grey are also available.

You should ignore the flashy exterior and questionable red carbon fibre weave inside, as this car is all about its engine. The 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 has been tweaked to produce 631bhp – 10bhp more than the Supersports GTC on which this model is based. The changes include a free-flowing – and much louder than standard – sports exhaust.

Squeeze the throttle at any speed and if the car’s extroverted style doesn’t get you noticed, the noise it makes definitely will.

If you leave the six-speed auto in D, the refinement is superb. But hold a gear past 2,000rpm and the car lets out an incredible boom that ricochets off buildings and fills the cabin, especially with the roof down. Slot the chunky gearlever into S and the exhausts are set to full volume, all of the time. This also sharpens the throttle response and lets the gearbox kick down more readily.

There are four suspension settings. The softest delivers a supple ride, but the firmest is only really suited to perfectly smooth surfaces. Despite crushing acceleration and endless grip through corners, you can’t fight physics – the 2,395kg ISR struggles for body control when you throw it around.

Under hard acceleration, the nose tips skywards as you’re rocketed down the road, and there’s noticeable lean as you turn in to a bend.

Even so, the way this car surges forwards, combined with the stopping power of the carbon-ceramic brakes, makes for a truly phenomenal driving experience.