Bentley South Africa has confirmed that its most extreme road car in decades, the new Supersports, is heading to South Africa. Only a few examples are expected to reach the country, slotted into a worldwide production run of just 500 units. Pricing for South Africa starts at R11,644,000 before options, a figure that reflects the car’s status as the most driver focused Bentley ever built. To put that into perspective the current most expensive Continental in South Africa is the GTC Mulliner which starts from ‘just’ R7,651,000.
This is only the fourth time in the marque’s history that the Supersports name has been used, and Bentley has chosen to revive it for the centenary of the original 1925 Super Sports, the car that first proved a Bentley could be as thrilling on a circuit as it was comfortable on a long haul.
The Most Focused Continental GT Ever Built
The new Supersports began life as an internal skunkworks project known as “Mildred,” a stripped out Continental GT test mule built purely to explore how far the platform could be pushed when comfort was no longer the priority. That project impressed Bentley’s leadership enough to be signed off for limited production, and the result is a two seat, rear wheel drive coupe unlike anything else currently wearing the Flying B badge.
Every modern Continental GT sold globally has been all wheel drive, so sending power exclusively to the rear axle is a notable departure for Crewe. Combined with a widened rear track, an electronic limited slip differential and brake based torque vectoring, the Supersports is engineered to reward committed, involved driving rather than simply covering distance in silence.
Power, Performance and a Return to Pure Combustion
Where most modern Bentleys lean on hybrid assistance, the Supersports strips it away entirely. Under the bonnet sits an enhanced twin turbo 4.0 litre V8, fitted with a stronger crankcase, larger cylinder heads and bigger turbochargers, producing 657 hp (490 kW) and 800 Nm (590 lb ft) of torque, sent through an uprated ZF eight speed dual clutch gearbox tuned for sharper, higher revving shifts.
The numbers that follow are suitably serious. Zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) is dispatched in 3.7 seconds, and the Supersports will run on to a top speed of around 310 km/h (192 mph). A full length titanium exhaust system, developed in partnership with Akrapovic, gives the V8 a noticeably more raw and vocal character than any Continental GT before it.
Lighter Than Any Bentley in 85 Years
Weight has been the real obsession behind this car. Extensive use of carbon fibre, including for the roof panel that is traditionally aluminium, has helped bring the Supersports in at under 2,000 kg, making it the lightest Bentley built since 1940. The rear cabin has been removed entirely in the process, turning the Continental GT into a strict two seater for the first time.
That lighter body works alongside a bold carbon fibre aero package that generates up to 300 kg more downforce than a Continental GT Speed, aided by twin chamber dampers and a 48V anti roll system said to control body movement in as little as 0.3 seconds. Bentley claims the Supersports can achieve up to 1.3g of lateral grip on its optional Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres, a 30 percent improvement over the GT Speed.
Stopping power comes from the largest carbon silicon carbide brake discs ever fitted to a production car, at 440 mm up front with 10 piston calipers, paired with 410 mm discs at the rear. The look is finished off with 22 inch forged and machined alloy wheels developed alongside Manthey Racing, a name better known for Nurburgring lap records than luxury coupes.
Five Design Themes and Near Limitless Personalisation
True to Bentley form, the Supersports is far from a one size fits all proposition. Buyers can choose from 24 exterior paint finishes and five bespoke design themes created specifically for this model, each available in a bolder Level 2 execution with more prominent striping across the rear haunches. Inside, customers can specify from 11 primary hide colours, 22 secondary hide colours and nine accent shades, offering more than 2,000 possible interior combinations, along with 11 way adjustable, carbon backed sports seats borrowed from motorsport thinking rather than the traditional Bentley lounge chair.
Every single Supersports built will carry its own individual number, reinforcing the sense that this is closer to a limited edition collector’s piece than a standard specification order.
