THE CURATED EDITION.
Reportage / Crewe
Two seats, rear-wheel drive, no hybrid and nearly half a tonne less than a Continental GT: Bentley revives the Supersports name for 500 numbered cars, with deliveries from early 2027.
MOTORING
Luxury is usually measured by what is added. The new Supersports is measured by what Bentley took away.
Two seats instead of four. Drive to the rear wheels only. No hybrid system, no rear cabin, no driver assistance systems, a carbon-fibre roof where the aluminium used to be. Limited to 500 numbered cars, it revives a name first worn in 1925 by the 3 Litre Super Sports, the first Bentley able to pass 100 mph. A century later the brief is the same, written in a different alphabet.
The last Supersports, in 2017, carried the W12. The new one uses a reworked 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with a stronger crankcase, uprated cylinder heads and larger turbochargers, and no electric assistance at all. It produces 666 PS and 800 Nm, sent through a redeveloped eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and an electronic limited-slip differential to the rear axle alone. A full-length titanium Akrapovič exhaust is standard.
At a moment when the Continental range has moved to plug-in hybrid power, this is a deliberate step sideways: a pure combustion car built for the driver who wants one.
Bentley says the car is nearly half a tonne lighter than a Continental GT and under 2,000 kg. The savings come from everywhere: the carbon roof, which also lowers the centre of gravity, carbon exterior parts, the deleted rear cabin, reduced sound insulation, front-only audio. The weight distribution is 54:46 at rest and moves rearward with speed.
The new Supersports is more than just the most driver-focused Bentley yet.
Frank-Steffen Walliser, Chairman and CEO, Bentley Motors
Carbon-silicon-carbide brakes are standard, with 440 mm discs and ten-piston callipers at the front and 410 mm discs at the rear. The 22-inch forged wheels were developed with Manthey Racing, and Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres are optional. Air springs, new twin-chamber dampers, rear-wheel steering and the 48-volt Bentley Dynamic Ride system remain. Bentley quotes more than 300 kg of additional downforce over a Continental GT Speed and, on the Trofeo tyres, cornering roughly 30 per cent quicker.
Orders opened in March 2026. Production in Crewe is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, with first deliveries in early 2027. Each of the 500 cars is individually numbered.
Luxury is usually measured by what is added. In the Supersports, Bentley has measured it by absence: of seats, of weight, of batteries, of anything that stands between the driver and the rear wheels. It is the most expensive kind of restraint, and the most persuasive.
| Engine | 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, no hybrid assistance |
| Output | 666 PS, 800 Nm |
| Transmission | Eight-speed dual-clutch, rear-wheel drive, electronic limited-slip differential |
| 0 to 100 km/h | 3.7 seconds (manufacturer; 3.6 seconds quoted with optional Trofeo RS tyres) |
| Top speed | Around 310 km/h at launch; 320 km/h on Bentley’s current model page |
| Weight | Under 2,000 kg, weight distribution 54:46 |
| Production | 500 numbered cars, Crewe; production from Q4 2026, deliveries from early 2027 |
Details and further reading: Bentley Media, Supersports · Bentley Motors, Supersports
Instagram: @bentleymotors
GABRIEL SILVEIRADO, FOR WAYFARER.
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