Bentley Unveils Its Most Driver-Focused Continental GT Yet—the 666hp Supersports

In a world obsessed with electrification or hybrid technology to power cars, Bentley just took an old-school swing. The iconic British marque just revealed its most driver focused interpretation of the Continental GT yet: a 666hp petrol gulping beauty. 

The new car, which is limited to a production run of just 500 individually numbered units, also revives one of the most venerated nameplates in Bentley history: the Supersports. A century ago, the first Supersports became the first Bentley to shred the 100mph (160kmph) barrier to pieces. This new one is only the fourth car in the marque’s history to bear this iconic nameplate.

At the heart of the Supersports’ charisma is a 4-litre turbocharged V8 engine with 666hp and a robust 800Nm of max torque on tap. Transmission duties are handled by an 8-speed dual clutch transmission that sends all that power and torque to the rear wheels. And that’s it! No fancy four-wheel-drive or electric hybrid elements; just pure, old fashioned luxury motoring at its peak. Nought to 100kmph comes up in 3.7 seconds and the new Supersports posts a top speed of 310kmph. To help it stop, this Bentley employs 440mm dia carbon ceramic brakes with 10-piston calipers at the front and 410mm dia discs with 4-piston calipers at the back—the largest automotive braking system in the world, claims Bentley. 

To help it stay athletic and light, the 22-inch forged wheels from Manthey Racing are lightweight construction. The lack of auxiliary electric or hybrid powertrain also results in significant weight shaving. The roof is a carbon-fibre panel instead of the usual aluminium. There’s no rear cabin. Who needs that in a two-seater coupé anyway? Even certain driver assistance systems have been deleted from the package! Instead, you have an electronic limited slip differential with torque vectoring, Bentley’s proprietary 48V electric anti-roll control system called Bentley Dynamic Ride, electronic stability control and some more techy bits. All in all, the Bentley Supersports tips the scales at less than two tonnes and becomes the first Bentley do so in 85 years.

To ensure that all of this stays planted on the tarmac when your right foot is feeling itchy and stamping down on the throttle pedal, you get Pirelli P-zero tyres as standard with an option of upgrading to stickier Pirelli Super Trofeo RS. Then there are the aerodynamic bits that have been specifically designed by Bentley engineers to generate 300 kilograms of extra downforce over their own Continental GT Speed. 

But the Supersports story isn’t just a story of great British engineering and craftsmanship. It is also the story of heart and history. In 1929, Mildred Mary Petre took a 4½-litre Bentley and went around the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry circuit in France for 24 hours, clocking an astonishing average speed (at the time) of 90mph, 145kmph. Solo. It was a new endurance record established by a woman pushing the boundaries of every established convention in a male-dominated time. So when Bentley decided to create a sub-two-tonne rear wheel driven interpretation of the Continental GT, Project Mildred was born. 

As for the legendary nameplate itself, the first Bentley Supersports was launched exactly 100 years ago in 1925. Based on a 3-litre engine and built on a shorter, and therefore lighter, chassis, it was the first car bearing the big B to breach 100mph. Rare, even by the standards of the day, as only 18 were ever built.

The nameplate was not used for decades until 2009 when the Continental GT Supersports brought about a 204mph (328kmph) revival. Eight years later, in 2017, the second generation of the car went even faster, powered by a 6-litre W12 with 710hp, making it the most powerful Bentley ever built. Only 710 were ever made. 

Now, we have this—a spanking new generation of the Supersports that uses the pinnacle of modern internal combustion technology to explore old school driving pleasure. And just as rare as the name it bears, with a century worth of legacy to back it up.

The official launch of the car will be in Dubai in January 2026, with a premiere screening of a special film on Bentley’s history. Orders will open in March and deliveries will start in 2027.