What we have here is the fastest-accelerating Bentley the ultra-luxe automaker has ever produced with a century sprint time of just 3.4 seconds. Called the Supersports, It’s also the final version of the current-generation Continental GT before an all-new version arrives next year.
Luxury British coupes aren’t exactly known for their quick acceleration but more for their brilliance as long-legged Grand Tourers. But with 522kW and a collosal 1017Nm developed from its twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12 engine, the Supersports is also the most powerful car Bentley has ever produced.
This is achieve through a reworked intake and cooling system as well as new turbochargers to produce close to 100kW more than the standard car’s engine. Power is paramount when intending to make a 2.3-ton car this rapid off the line.
Next to mid-engine supercars and the more rarified hypercar, 3.4 seconds to 100km/h is a middling number, but compared to any other British GT, it shoots to the top of the list. The quickest production Aston Martin, for example, manages that same speed from rest in 4 seconds.
But unlike the Continental GT3-R that Bentley outed in 2014, the faster Supersports isn’t a lightened, hardcore version. Rather, it still has all the leather, wood, 2+2 layout and meticulous finishing that any standard Conti-GT has - and more.
To harness the thrust the Supersports produces, the rear-biased all-wheel drive system has been tuned to better shuffle the power for better acceleration. Once it gets up to speed, Bentley claims it has a top speed of 338km/h.
Drive is sent through a beefed up torque converter automatic transmission, new cracktrain, and conrod bearings make the mechanicals better suited to generating the power demanded of it. In addition, Bentley did add some lighter and more aerodynamic components where they could.
These new bits are subtle but nonetheless contribute to the car’s insane (relatively) performance. There are newly sculpted front and rear bumpers, fused to a carbon fibre splitter up front and carbon diffuser at the rear. A set of titanium exhausts are an optional extra and so is the fixed rear wing.
Inside, Bentley has dressed their Continental GT swansong with diamond-quilted leather seats and door panels, a checkered panel fascia and 10 different veneer options to choose from in addition to the galaxy of other customisation options made available to each buyer.
Bentley are also making available a convertible version of the Supersports which isn’t quite as accelerative as the coupe at 3.7 seconds to 100km/h but is otherwise cosmetically and mechanically identical.
Both will be making their official in-person debut at the upcoming 2017 Detroit Motor Show.
For more on Bentley vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
