The new Bentley Supersports is a seriously angry V8 coupé

This is an exceptionally exciting, seriously purposeful new performance car: a large, furious two-door coupé wrapped in aerodynamic add-ons and packed with unadulterated V8 muscle. Be warned: Bentley has released the new Supersports, and it has little patience for anyone’s nonsense.

It is significant partly because this is only the fourth Bentley to wear the name since the legendary British manufacturer created the first ‘Super Sports’ 100 years ago. Appropriately, that original reached 161 km/h, and every Supersports Bentley since has represented a very serious approach to performance.

Bentley Supersports V8 power

That tradition continues here. In this latest version - and what a version it is - Bentley has removed the Continental GT V8’s hybrid assistance, leaving the twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre engine to send its output exclusively to the rear wheels.

The engine has reportedly been reinforced - just look at it - with a tougher crankshaft, upgraded cylinder heads and larger turbochargers. It is paired with a complete titanium exhaust, tuned to deliver a sound unlike that of any previous Bentley. It is also entirely genuine, with “no artificial in-cabin enhancement”.

In this specification, the turbocharged V8 produces 657bhp and 800 Nm of torque. That force is controlled through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, revised for crisper, faster shifts and more assertive clutches, before being sent straight to the rear axle.

Rear-wheel-drive Continental GT performance

That is because the Supersports is the first rear-wheel-drive Continental GT ever made. With the V8 delivering the greatest power density of any Bentley engine, this HulkSmash can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and continue to around 309 km/h. Bentley is still confirming the final top speed.

Yet its defining trait is not simply power, but agility. It receives an electronic limited-slip differential, a rear track widened by 16 mm over the ordinary, less intimidating Earth-bound Conti GT, torque vectoring, plus recalibrated steering, suspension, traction-control and ESC systems.

There are also new twin-chamber dampers and splendid 56 cm forged, machined-aluminium wheels. When shod with Trofeo RS tyres, they allow the car to corner 30 per cent faster than a Conti GT.

Bentley also claims it has fitted the largest brakes ever installed on a car: 10-piston calipers with 440 mm discs at the front, and four-piston calipers with 410 mm discs at the rear. Ten pistons. Press the brake pedal firmly enough and you may well travel backwards through time.

Weight reduction and aggressive aerodynamics

Weight has been cut substantially, principally by removing the hybrid hardware and four-wheel-drive system, while replacing the aluminium roof with a carbon-fibre item. Further, less obvious measures include reduced sound insulation, the removal of certain driver-assistance systems, lightweight sports seats and seatbelts, among other changes. Bentley estimates that the Supersports comes in at under 2,000 kg. Yes, that remains enormously heavy - this is still a Bentley - but for a Bentley? It is practically Caterham-like.

For a Bentley, it is also extraordinarily angry. It may seem excessive for a luxury coupé to display such hostility in its styling, but so be it. The aerodynamic revisions - a new front bumper, fresh dive planes and side sills, bespoke wheelarch ‘blades’, a reshaped rear diffuser and a fixed one-piece rear spoiler - produce 300 kg more downforce than a Conti GT Speed. And that car has ‘Speed’ in its name.

Naturally, buyers will have a long options list to consider, including “performance focused” paint colours that contribute no extra horsepower but deliver considerable attitude, alongside additional carbon fibre, leather and aluminium trim.

Bentley will build only 500 examples. Orders open in March 2026, with deliveries due to begin in early 2027. The price has not been announced, although it is certain to be… serious.