Easy driving
Bentley continues to enumerate the innovations of its latest model, unveiled in November, exactly a century after the first Super Sports.
To begin, the new car becomes the lightest road-going Bentley since 1940, shedding half a tonne compared to the standard Continental GT. Its precise weight is 1,814.37 kg. To achieve this, the hybrid powertrain was discarded in favor of rear-wheel drive. The aluminum roof was replaced with a carbon-fiber panel, lowering the center of gravity while maintaining structural rigidity. The front seats have been lightened, and the entire rear half of the interior is replaced by a carbon-fiber and leather tray. Sound insulation has been reduced, and the audio system is reserved solely for the front cabin.
New carbon-fiber exterior elements make this the most aggressive-looking Bentley Grand Tourer ever. The front bumper now incorporates the largest aerodynamic splitter fitted to a road car. It features two new cooling ducts on each side, channeling air to the front brakes and engine. Alongside the splitter, two pairs of stacked spoilers are positioned at each corner. Above the bumper sits a new, lighter aluminum mesh grille with a unique design. New B-shaped vents on the fenders manage airflow exiting the front wheel arches. The rear bumper has been completely redesigned with vents and an integrated diffuser. A fixed, one-piece wing is mounted on the trunk lid. Together, these aerodynamic elements generate over 300 kg more downforce than the Continental GT Speed, while maintaining balanced lift along the car and contributing to dynamic weight distribution.
The two-seat cabin features new sports seats with a lower seating position, 11-way electronic adjustment, heating, and enhanced lateral support. Lightweight, high-gloss carbon-fiber panels complement the leather and Dinamica microfiber upholstery. The available palette includes 22 primary and 11 additional leather colors. A two-tone scheme is standard, but monochrome or three-tone interiors can be ordered. As an alternative to carbon fiber, dark aluminum panels or the clean elegance of Piano Black finish are available.
The First Rear-Wheel-Drive Continental GT
At the heart of the car lies a new, reinforced four-liter twin-turbo V8, featuring a sturdier crankcase, upgraded cylinder heads, and larger turbochargers. These modifications deliver the highest power density of any Bentley engine: 666 hp (166.5 hp per liter) with 800 Nm of torque. The eight-speed dual-clutch ZF transmission, used across the Bentley range, has been reworked specifically for the Supersports, with upgraded clutches and a new shift strategy. This extreme coupe also features a new Akrapovic exhaust system. The sprint to 100 km/h takes 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of around 310 km/h. More important than these headline figures, however, is how the Supersports behaves in dynamic driving.
Bentley’s engineers have made the new Supersports the first rear-wheel-drive road-going Continental in history (not forgetting the Continental GT3 racer!). Power is sent via an eLSD to the rear wheels, whose track has been widened by 16 mm compared to the standard Continental GT. The eLSD is complemented by torque vectoring via the brakes – both systems work in concert to ensure maximum turn-in precision and road grip. Rear-wheel steering is retained for optimal maneuverability and stability, while the steering, suspension, traction control, and ESC calibrations are entirely new.
The ESC settings allow the driver to select their preferred level of assistance, from fully engaged, through a Dynamic mode that permits a controlled degree of slip and oversteer, to fully disengaged, where the driver has complete command of the rear axle and can induce significant yet well-managed oversteer. The Drive Dynamics Controller offers three modes: Touring, Bentley, and Sport.
The chassis employs an aluminum double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear axle, complete with air springs and new dual-chamber dampers featuring independent compression and rebound control. Bentley Dynamic Ride, the brand's 48-volt active roll control system, can generate up to 1,300 Nm of anti-roll torque in 0.3 seconds. Braking is handled by what is claimed to be the most powerful automotive braking system in the world, with 440-mm carbon-silicon-carbide discs clamped by 10-piston calipers at the front, and 410-mm discs with 4-piston calipers at the rear.
The Supersports rides on new 22-inch Manthey Racing forged aluminum wheels shod with Pirelli P-Zero tires, which can be optionally upgraded to Trofeo RS.
The Codename: Mildred
The idea for the new Supersports originated in September 2024, when a small group of in-house engineers set out to explore the potential of a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive Continental GT. They were given free rein to build a prototype, which hit the track just a month and a half later. It proved so compelling that Bentley’s leadership decided to put it into production.
To keep the project under wraps, it was given a codename drawn from Bentley’s past: Mildred Mary Petre. In the 1920s, this intrepid racer set records on land, in the air, and on sea, piloting sports cars, airplanes, and speedboats. In 1929, she drove a Bentley 4½ Litre solo for 24 hours at the Montlhéry circuit in France, averaging nearly 145 km/h and setting a new endurance record—a phenomenal achievement by today's standards, and even more incredible back then. On September 15th of that same year, she set another record, piloting her boat, Mosquito, across the English Channel from Dover to Calais and back non-stop in 1 hour and 47 minutes.
A Glorious History
The modern Supersports name pays homage to one of the most evocative designations in Bentley's history. It first appeared in the official birth year of the Art Deco style, the era of the Roaring Twenties.
The first Super Sports was launched in 1925, based on the 3 Litre model, featuring an uprated engine and a shorter (and therefore lighter) chassis. It was the first Bentley capable of exceeding 100 mph. The model was instantly recognizable by its distinctive conical Green Label radiator.
Only 18 examples were built over two years, 17 on a very short 9-foot wheelbase, with the remaining one based on the Standard Speed model with a 9-foot 9.5-inch wheelbase. The car cost £1,050, surpassing the psychologically significant thousand-pound mark, considered exorbitantly expensive at the time.
Shrouded in glory and long retired, the Supersports designation returned to the brand's active nomenclature only in 2009, now written as one word. The revived Continental GT Supersports achieved twice the speed of its 1920s predecessor: 204 mph. It was the first two-seater in the Continental family, 100 kg lighter than the standard version.
In 2017, it was eclipsed by an even faster successor based on the second-generation Continental GT. Like the previous model, it was powered by a six-liter twin-turbo W12 engine, but now producing 710 hp, making it the most powerful Bentley in the company's history—a distinction cemented by a limited production run of 710 examples.
Previous Supersports generations defined the maximum performance of their respective model families. The new car explores a different philosophy: instead of chasing top speed records, the goal is maximum driver engagement, achieved through the most radical weight reduction in Bentley's history and a new powertrain configuration.
