Crikey, the new 657bhp, rear-drive Bentley Supersports is a non-hybrid V8 that’s *half a tonne* lighter

This is a very exciting and very serious new performance car. A big, angry, two-door coupe wreathed in aero and saturated with pure, full-fat V8 power. Be afraid, for Bentley has unleashed its brand new Supersports, and it is not here for your nonsense.

Partly because it is only the fourth Bentley that carries the name since the first ‘Super Sports’ was built by the storied British carmaker 100 years ago. Fittingly, that car topped out at 100mph, and ever since, the Supersports Bentleys have ushered in a world of, well, very serious performance.

No change here. For this iteration – and hoo boy is it some iteration – Bentley has rid the Continental GT’s V8 of any hybrid assistance, instead allowing that twin-turbo 4.0-litre free rein over the rear wheels.

It’s apparently been strengthened – well, look at the thing – with a stronger crank, uprated heads, and bigger turbos. It’s also matched to a full titanium exhaust system tuned so that it sounds like no Bentley before it. And pure, too, with “no artificial in-cabin enhancement”.

In this tune, the turbo V8 kicks out 657bhp and 590lb ft of torque, all marshalled very seriously through an eight-speed dual clutch gearbox – itself treated to sharper, more responsive changes and clutchier clutches – and fired directly at the rear axle.

Because this Supersports is the first ever rear-wheel-drive Continental GT. So that V8 offering up the highest power density of any Bentley engine can power this HulkSmash from 0-62mph in 3.7s and on to a top speed of 192mph. Or thereabouts. Bentley’s still verifying it.

More than power, though, is the pointiness. So there’s an electronic limited-slip diff on a 16mm wider rear track versus a regular, puny Earth-bound Conti GT, torque vectoring, and recalibrated steering, suspension, traction and ESC setups.

New twin chamber dampers. Delightful 22in forged, machined aluminium wheels that, when fitted with Trofeo RS rubber, mean this thing is able to corner 30 per cent quicker than a Conti GT. 

And the not so small matter – according to Bentley – of the biggest brakes ever fitted to a car – 10 piston calipers/440mm discs up front, four-pot/410mm discs at the back. Ten pistons. Stamp hard enough on the brakes and you’ll probably go back in time.

The weight’s certainly rolled back, largely thanks to binning the hybrid assistance, 4WD system, and fitting a carbon roof in place of the aluminium one. That, along with other more subtle lightweighting like less sound insulation, deleting some driver assistance, fitting lightweight sports seats and seatbelts and so on. Bentley reckons this Supersports weighs in at under 2,000kg. OK yes, that’s still supremely heavy – it is a Bentley after all – but in the context of a Bentley? Positively Caterham-esque.

And in the context of a Bentley, this one’s very, very angry. You might think it unbecoming of such a luxury coupe to bear so much aggression in its visual language, but to hell with it. The aero additions – a new front bumper, new dive planes and side sills, unique arch ‘blades’, a reprofiled rear diffuser and a one-piece fixed rear spoiler – all generate 300kg more downforce than a Conti GT Speed. And that thing’s got ‘Speed’ in its name.

Naturally there are many options for you to choose from, including “performance focused” paint colours that add zero horsepower but much attitude, more carbon fibre, leather and aluminium, among other things.

Bentley’s only building 500 of these things, and you’ll be able to order yours from March 2026 for a delivery at the beginning of 2027. Price? Bentley hasn’t specified, but it’ll be… serious.