This year marks the Centenary of the first Bentley car designated by the title of ‘Super Sports’ and now the nameplate returns to Bentley for only the fourth Supersports model in the history of the company. This spectacular sports tourer is the most driver-focused variant of the Continental GT ever, with rear-wheel drive, a two-seat cabin and a gross weight below two tonnes. A non-hybrid, pure internal combustion power-train has a new 657BHP (666 PS), 800, twin-turbo, 4.0 litre V8 at its heart, with power fed through an eight-speed double clutch gearbox to the rear wheels only achieving the sprint to 62MPH (100KPH) in just 3.7 seconds. Add to the package some carbon ceramic brakes, new 22 inch especially developed lightweight forged alloy wheels and a full-length titanium exhaust system as standard, the result is nothing less than dramatic.
The Prestige Exterior
The exterior represents the most purposeful-looking Bentley ever, with a series of form-following-function developments to maximise downforce and save weight. A new front bumper integrates the biggest front splitter apparently ever fitted to a Bentley road car, and feeds cooling air to the engine and front brakes.
Carbon fibre dive planes, side sills, fender blades and a rear diffuser and fixed rear wing combine to generate more downforce than even the brand’s Continental GT Speed model. The weight saving regime extends to the roof, which is now a carbon fibre panel to also lower centre of gravity whilst maintaining structural stiffness. Overall, the new exterior details of the car combine to make this the most aggressive Bentley Grand Tourer ever.
The Luxury Interior
Can you have luxury in a pared-down sporting interior? Well, yes you can: The interior of the new Supersports is as purposeful as the rest of the car, inspired by motor-sport. Two-seat only, it completes the focus on driver engagement that is the singular mission statement of the car. Every details is engineering to elevate the driving experience, redefining the idea of performance-focused luxury.
New lightweight sports seats are provided for the driver and one passenger, with increased lateral bolstering, a lower position in the car and carbon elements across the shoulder area. The seats feature 11-way electric adjustment and retain seat heating. The rear cabin is replaced by a lightweight and precision engineering carbon fibre tub that wraps around the space. Finished with a leather wraparound design, the tub integrates into the rest of the cabin and delivers a cleaner, more purposeful interior layout.
Lightweight and high gloss carbon fibre veneers are standard, joined by a blend of leather and ‘Dinamica’, with the latter technical material to the centres of the seat backs and seat cushions, the centre panels of the doors and the headlining. Supersports embroidery and badging completes the cabin, together with an individually numbered badge to the centre console.
The rear cabin environment has been deleted, saving a significant amount of weight. Along with the seats and seatbelts, rear cabin sound insulation has been reduced, and the audio system has been reconfigured for the front cabin only. Additional weight savings also come with the deletion of certain driver assistance systems, not required on a driver-focused GT.
The Drive Of Your Life
As mentioned above, the power-train of the new Supersports is non-hybrid and purely Internal Combustion Engine (ICE); just as it should be. A new, strengthened 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 is the heart of the car featuring a stronger crankcase, uprated cylinder heads and larger turbos. These changes yield the highest power density of any Bentley engine, backed up with 800 Nm of torque. Coupled to the engine is a ZF eight-speed double clutch transmission used across the Bentley model range, but redeveloped for the Supersports with uprated clutches and a new shifting strategy. Gear shifts are now sharper and more responsive, while the downshift strategy during braking has been precisely calibrated to deliver optimal stability and driver confidence.
The engine breathes though a full-length titanium exhaust which is tuned to be significantly more characterful than any previous Bentley. It plays glorious automotive music, in other words. Unique to the Supersports, the complete system amplifies and tunes the cross-plane V8 note to be extremely compelling; deep, powerful and completely authentic, with, importantly, no artificial in-cabin enhancement.
The sprint to 62 MPH (100KPH) is dispatched in a brisk 3.7 seconds, and top speed will be circa 192 MPH (310 KMH). More important than the headline figures though, will be how the Supersports behaves dynamically and for that Bentley’s chassis engineers have seemingly enjoyed the opportunity for a new level of driver engagement, by making the new Supersports the first rear-wheel drive Continental in history (apart from race cars).
Power is fed exclusively to the rear wheels through an electronic limited slip differential (eLSD), out to rear wheels that have an increased track of 16mm over a Continental GT. The eLSD is assisted by torque vectoring by brake, with the systems working together to make turn-in as sharp as possible and to give maximum traction. Rear-wheel steering is retained for maximum agility and stability, while the calibrations for the steering, suspension, traction management and ESC systems are all-new.
ESC settings allow the driver to select how much independence or assistance they would prefer – from fully-on, through a Dynamic Mode that allows a level of slip and oversteer within reactive limits, to fully-off – where the driver has complete control of the rear axle, and can provoke the Supersports into significant but highly controllable oversteer.
There are three new configurations to the Drive Dynamics Controller: ‘Touring’ mode matches the performance character of the Sport mode in a Continental GT Speed, but pairs it with increased ride height, softer damping and a more discrete exhaust character. ‘Bentley’ mode increases the performance character beyond the former, with gearbox strategy, throttle pedal and chassis settings all uplifted. Exhaust system valves open to enhance sound character, and launch control becomes available. Finally, ‘Sport’ mode goes even further, with ultimate optimisation for driver engagement and tuned for maximum chassis and power-train response.
MHH International With Bentley Motors
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