However, Bentley says that outright power wasn’t the aim. Instead, the brief for the Supersports was to create the most driver-focused Bentley to date. Key to this, compared with the standard car, is where the power is sent.
This is the first Continental – apart from GT3 race cars – to feature a rear-wheel drive configuration.
The set-up meant that engineers had to widen the rear track by 16mm so the power normally put on the road by four wheels could be handled by two.
Software also plays a major part. For example, a torque vectoring system combines with an eLSD to enable sharper turn-in and maximise traction under braking. The Supersports also gets its own bespoke steering and suspension tuning, as well as traction management systems.
As with the standard Conti, the Supersports has double wishbones at the front, a multi-link axle at the rear, air springs and rear-wheel steering. Twin-chamber dampers are new.
Big focus on aero
The Supersports is one of the most aggressive-looking Bentleys to date and engineers claim that no elements have been included “just for aesthetic purposes”.
The most notable is the new front bumper. Lower and wider than the GT Speed’s, it features the largest splitter yet seen on a road-going Bentley.
On the nose sits a new lightweight mesh grille. Elsewhere, the Bentley features two pairs of stacked dive planes, chunky side sills, large wing blades, a new rear diffuser and, strikingly, a boot spoiler.
In total, the Supersports generates over 300kg more downforce than the GT Speed – Bentley has not given a specific figure for either car – while maintaining a 54:46 front- to-rear weight distribution.