Bentley Supersports is firm’s lightest model for 85 years
Limited-edition performance flagship is slower than Continental GT Speed, but more agile...
Price from £400,000 (est) | On sale Late 2026
“Simplify and add lightness” was the ethos of Lotus founder, Colin Chapman, when designing cars that were fun to drive. Yet Bentley, with its swathes of leather, wood – and its huge engines – could not have been more different over the years.
But now the British brand is taking a leaf from Lotus and built its lightest model in 85 years: the Bentley Supersport will be the most driver-focused car it has ever built.
With a likely price of around £400,000, it’ll be significantly more expensive than the driver-focused Aston Martin DB12 S, although similar money to the Ferrari 12Cilindri, a far which although faster, isn’t as hard-edged as the new Bentley.
Engineers have slashed around 500kg from the coupé, which is the first Continental GT to weigh less than two tonnes. That’s no mean feat, with extensive use of light weight materials inside and out. Driving purists will be particularly interested to hear that Bentley has ditched the car’s hybrid system, and converted the car from four-wheel drive to two-wheel drive.
As you might expect, the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine remains the pulsating heart of the car, but has been strengthened and fitted with larger turbochargers. The standard gearbox has been tweaked for sharper responses and the clutches have been uprated.
At first glance, the elephant in the room is that the Supersports is, with 657bhp, down on power compared with the 771bhp hybrid-powered Continental GT Speed, and with a 0-62mph of 3.7sec and a top speed of 192mph is slower, too.
But Bentley engineers point to the more agile nature of the rear-wheel drive setup and a new titanium exhaust system which will amplify the aural experience without the need to artificially enhance the sound through loudspeakers. This should yield huge improvements, because the standard V8 already sounds wonderfully characterful.
The Supersports’ rear wheels are 16mm farther apart than the standard car, and the car has an electronic limited-slip differential – a kind of clever traction control system – and torque vectoring which applies a small amount of braking force to the inside wheels as the car turns. It also retains the rear-wheel steering setup of other Continental GTs, although the car’s steering, suspension and traction control systems are all reconfigured.
Despite the lightest-Bentley-for-decades label, the Supersports uses the world’s largest car brakes, with the front discs measuring 440mm in diameter and made from lightweight and heat-resistant carbon-silicon-carbide. Indeed this could counter the standard car's brake feel — one of our key criticisms of how it drives. The new 22in wheels have a similar focus on weight reduction, and when fitted with optional Pirelli performance tyres, the Supersports can corner 30% quicker than a GT Speed.
Most of the car’s weight loss is as result of ditching the hybrid and four-wheel drive system, but further reductions have been found by replacing the aluminium roof with a carbon fibre version. This also helps to reduce the centre of gravity, again improving agility.
In keeping with its performance car positioning, there’s a new lower front bumper with aerodynamic tweaks and cooling vents and a lightweight mesh grill, while the sides feature new sills and blades that improve airflow. Together with a new, fixed rear spoiler, the changes generate more than 300kg more downforce than a Continental GT Speed.
The rear of the car has been stripped out, with the seats, seatbelts and sound insulation replaced by a carbon fibre tub. Lightweight front seats are fitted, but retain electric adjustment and heating, and wood veneer trim panels have been replaced by more carbon fibre.
Just 500 individually-numbered Supersports will be built, available in 24 standard colours, with more offered through Bentley’s Mulliner customisation service. Inside, 22 leather hide colours, in single-tone, two-tone or tri-tone are available.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
