Bentley made a big deal about going all-hybrid last year. The British luxury automaker went as far as to drop its iconic W12 engine to make room for a hybridized V8 powertrain that now powers the company’s entire lineup. But in a weird twist, Bentley might drop hybrid assistance for its sportiest model, reviving a legendary nameplate in the process.
Autocar, citing unnamed sources, reports that Bentley is planning to introduce a new Continental Supersports later this year. Those familiar with Bentley lore will know the Supersports trim was—barring the GT3-R—the most extreme, enthusiast-focused variant of the grand tourer, complete with more power, carbon-ceramic brakes, and lots of carbon fiber. Early versions even had front buckets and no back seats.
The Supersports name hasn’t been used since the last-gen Continental’s death in 2018, but when it did exist, it always used a hopped-up version of that car’s twin-turbocharged W12. With the W12 now dead, logic would suggest this new Supersports would use an even more powerful version of the hybrid V-8 found in the current GT Speed. Rather, it’ll go in an entirely different direction, according to Autocar.
Instead of throwing power at the new Supersports, this new report claims Bentley will target weight, positioning itself as a purist model rather than a big-numbers luxury bruiser. It’ll do so by removing the hybrid system altogether and moving to rear-wheel drive. Dropping the battery tech would be a bold move, considering virtually every European exotic relies on hybrid power these days to make big power numbers.
The powerhouses of Ferrari and Lamborghini have leaned heavily into hybrid tech, with most models in their respective lineups coming with electric assistance as standard. BMW and Mercedes have turned to hybridization for their top-line M and AMG models. Interestingly, Rolls-Royce, Bentley’s biggest rival, has rejected the idea of hybridization until at least 2030, electing to either stick to V12s or, in the case of the Spectre, go fully electric. To go from hybridized ICE to ICE only, in the case of Bentley, is highly unusual.
Presumably, that means the top-range Supersports will be less powerful than the standard GT Speed. That car makes 771 horsepower, while this new sporty model is estimated to make 631 horsepower from the twin-turbo V-8 alone, says Autocar. But it’ll also be a full 1,000 pounds lighter, thanks to extensive use of carbon and a rear seat delete, resulting in a similar 0-60 time. That sounds a lot like a Bentley version of the Porsche 911 GT3—a stripped-out, lightweight track special that’s proven incredibly popular with buyers.
This report is in line with a statement from CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser earlier this year, where he told EVO there was space in the Conti GT lineup to push boundaries. From the interview:
The Continental GT has more bandwidth for us to explore. We can go further to the edges with the GT, to both extremes—luxury and performance, especially with performance. There is more we can offer. I don’t mean to offer the same level of models as the 911, but certainly more variety to bring in more customers, not move them around from model to model.
As with the GT3, the upcoming Supersports is rumored to be expensive and hard to come by. Autocar says it should be a “strictly limited-run model,” and start around £400,000, or around $540,000 at current exchange rates—nearly a quarter million more than the GT Speed. That’s more than double the price of that hardcore 911, and even more than the twin-turbo V12-powered Aston Martin Vanquish. We suspect Bentley will have no problem selling every single one.
Topshot: Bentley
Oh please tell me they’ll make a new Boatley GT3 race car.
This was my first thought. In our new BoP-heavy era they’d do… something.
They’re not going to be able to hack a thousand pounds out of the Continental when the base V8 itself still pushes 5k; and even if they did the thing would still weigh 4400 pounds.
631 HP is more than enough for any (non-race) car, and if it’s not, the car is too heavy.
Reading the title i thought it’ll be a new car, 911 size but Bentley, i was excited for a second, i always loved the idea of luxury small cars but … that’s not going to happen.
BentayGT3?