209 MPH!!!
It may have taken almost to the end of its run on a VW platform, but this recently updated Bentley Continental GT FINALLY has introduced the “Extreme” Supersports variant.
It’s no secret that Bentley and Rolls Royce are routinely compared to each other. Presumably because of their high price points and the “no holds barred” luxury. They can be commissioned as bespoke as you can imagine. But these are very different brands. Rolls Royce (in my opinion) is the absolute best vehicle for showing that you’ve made it. There are no other vehicles that the mere brand identifies you as “rich”.
Both brand have coupe offerings. Rolls Royce has the Wraith whereas Bentley has the Continental GT. They seem like they are competing in the same market, but truthfully they aren’t.
Bentley’s heritage revolves around speed.
So where Rolls Royce as well as Bentley create some of the most sought after luxury vehicles with high end materials, finishes and attention to detail, Bentley builds theirs on a high velocity framework. Each of their models appear more “muscle-bound” than any Rolls model. It seems Bentley Motors thrives on the fact that they create the fastest ultra luxury vehicles in the world.
I for one love the Continental GT range. It looks great in photos but to see one on the street magnifies the fact that it’s something different. The added muscle that the previous Supersports wore made all the difference in it’s visual stance. This as well as the fact that it was a cut above the regular run of the mill Continentals made it more desirable for me.
Since the new updated GT bowed in 2013, I couldn’t wait for the replacement Supersports. They’ve teased us with V8-S models and the W12 Speed editions. They’ve also toyed with Black Editions as well as the far into left field GT3-R model. I only wanted to see what they would do if they decided to come out with a Supersports. So with the news of the impending reveal of the all new Continental later this year, I had all but given up on seeing a Supersports. Well, I’m pleasantly surprised with the news of the albeit late, but welcomed 2017 Continental Supersports.
POWER: physical strength and force exerted by something or someone.
strength, powerfullness, might, force, forcefulness, vigor, energy, brawn, muscle…
NEW BENTLEY CONTINENTAL SUPERSPORTS : THE WORLD’S FASTEST FOUR-SEAT CAR
- New Continental Supersports is the pinnacle grand tourer
- Fastest accelerating Bentley ever: 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds
- (0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds); top speed of 209 mph (336 km/h)
- Most powerful Bentley yet: 710 PS (700 bhp), 1,017 Nm (750 lb.ft.)
- Extreme agility combines with refinement and luxurious ride quality
- Unique styling highlights performance potential; available as coupe or convertible
- Video News Release available, access details in notes to editors
(Crewe, 6 January 2017) Bentley is today announcing its fastest and most powerful production model to date: the new Bentley Continental Supersports.
A top speed of 209 mph (336 km/h) and a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds) make the new Continental Supersports the world’s fastest and most powerful luxury four-seat car.
Similarly, its soft-top sibling, the Continental Supersports Convertible, is the fastest four-seat convertible in the world, despatching the sprint to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.9 secs) on its way to a 205 mph (330 km/h) top speed.
Bentley’s mighty W12 engine, redeveloped for the Supersports with new high-performance turbos and engine hardware, and a torque vectoring system create a Continental Supersports as agile as it is powerful. Meanwhile, unique styling cues inside and out give the new model a sharpened athletic appearance highlighting its performance potential.
As well as offering supercar pace and a highly focused driving experience, there is no compromise in the refined nature of the Continental’s ride quality. This fusion of extremes in luxury and performance make the Supersports the ultimate iteration of a model that has come to define and dominate the grand touring genre.
Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, said: “The Supersports name is legendary at Bentley. From the very first Supersports of the 1920s, to the Continental Supersports of 2009 – and now with the third iteration of this iconic model – it is a name which excites, impassions and thrills. Only Bentley could create a car which blends immense performance and unrivalled luxury in this way.”
Extreme Power and Torque; Stand-Out Performance
A bespoke drivetrain featuring Bentley’s W12 engine combines extreme power and torque to offer exhilarating performance.
Key to the Supersports’ additional outputs are newly designed, higher-capacity turbochargers and a revised charge-air cooling system which create more boost and additional power. In order to harness these additional outputs, upgrades have also been made to the Continental’s cranktrain, including new main and conrod bearings.
These extensive engine revisions result in an increase of 80 PS (79 bhp) and 217 Nm (160 lb.ft.) over the 2009 Supersports model – a 10 percent power-to-weight and 25 percent torque-to-weight ratio improvement. The top speed rises by five miles per hour (and the 0-60 mph time drops by 0.3 seconds).
The Supersports also benefits from a new torque converter which locks up faster allowing the car to make best use of the enhanced torque figure of 1,017 Nm (750 lb. ft.), and accelerate from standstill even more rapidly.
In order to rein in this immense performance the new Supersports is fitted with high-performance carbon ceramic brakes with enhanced cooling. The brake discs are the largest of their type in the world, providing excellent performance with minimal fade under extreme conditions.
The brakes sit behind lightweight 21” forged alloy wheels, together offering a 20 kg weight saving in unsprung mass. A further 5 kg weight-saving is offered via an optional titanium exhaust system. The new Supersports is the lightest-ever iteration of the current Continental GT and lighter than the 2009 four-seat Supersports model.
Enhancing the driver experience still further, the exhaust system has been redesigned to breathe more freely and provide an unmistakeable Bentley soundtrack, with down-shifts eliciting a rifle-fire crackle.
Ultimate Handling and Luxury Refinement
This performance is matched by athletic handling. The Supersports has a specifically calibrated and updated version of the torque vectoring system first introduced on the Continental GT3-R.
This dynamic system brakes individual front and rear wheels during acceleration out of corners to increase performance, whilst maintaining full power to unbraked wheels, and brakes the inside rear wheel on turn-in to improve agility. It also has a bespoke, less intrusive stability control calibration for a more precise chassis response.
The new Supersports retains the rear-biased torque split of Bentley’s all-wheel-drive system, sending 60 per cent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels as standard for a better balanced, more sporting character, but with the ability to adjust the front-rear power split depending on available traction.
Despite the focus on sharper driving dynamics, the Supersports’ lowered and stiffened dynamic suspension set-up retains all of its luxurious ride quality for passengers wishing to cover long distances in supreme comfort.
Bespoke Design Signalling High-Performance Character
The new Continental Supersports features unique exterior and interior styling cues which reflect the significant uplift in the performance capability of this pinnacle grand tourer.
Exterior changes include newly sculpted front and rear bumper designs incorporating a carbon-fibre splitter and diffuser respectively, new side sill extensions and bonnet vents also finished in carbon-fibre, gloss-black front wing vents and a new gloss-black, rifled exhaust tailpipe design. Completing the dramatic exterior look are dark-tint headlamps and tail-lamps, and a complement of black-finished brightware to the front grilles, lights, rear bumper, door handles and window surrounds.
There is also an optional, aerodynamically balanced rear spoiler and front splitter combination for the coupe, new Supersports badging, a new black and bright-machined finish for the 21” forged alloy wheels and optional side decals. Further highlighting the enhanced performance, an optional gloss-finished, Supersports-branded carbon-fibre engine cover can be specified.
The new Continental Supersports Convertible offers the luxury and refinement of a coupé yet transforms into a head-turning open-tourer at the touch of a button. The multi-layer hood ensures high levels of refinement and acoustic insulation. Exhaustively tested in all conditions from -30°C to +50°C or more, it resists even monsoon-force rain and maintains comfortable, draft-free warmth even on the coldest days.
Another practical feature, the neck warmer, makes open air driving an appealing and comfortable prospect even on the cooler days of spring and autumn. With the hood down, the Continental Supersports Convertible offers sensational performance with the sensory amplification of open-air motoring. Hood up, it’s as practical a year-round proposition as its coupé stablemate.
Inside, a host of bespoke styling details enhance the contemporary British luxury experience.
A unique colour split has been created, using three colours: the first tri-tone interior offered in this generation Continental GT. A new diamond-quilted design is incorporated in the seats and door side panels for a unique signature in Alcantara, while chequered Supersports carbon-fibre fascia panels join the existing list of ten veneers and technical finishes available. The interior is completed by new Supersports emblem stitching, and a bespoke Supersports steering wheel and unique gearlever, both featuring Alcantara accents.
A titanium exhaust option is available for drivers seeking a more intense audible experience. As well as a stirring soundtrack, the Titanium system also provides a weight reduction.
For Supersports customers seeking even more personalisation, an
‘X Specification’ pack is available, consisting of eight unique duo-tone paint treatments and carbon-fibre door mirrors and heel plates. The titanium exhaust option is included, as is a carbon-fibre finish to the interior side panels, the carbon-fibre engine cover and a gloss black finish to the 21” forged wheels.
As with all Bentleys, the Supersports can also be handed over to the highly skilled craftspeople at Mulliner, Bentley’s bespoke coachbuilding department, who will respond to individual customer requirements.
Supersports: The Ultimate in Luxury and Performance
The Continental Supersports of 2009 won global plaudits for its unique combination of extreme dynamics and unrivalled luxury.
The new Supersports takes these characteristics to new heights of engineering excellence, transforming this model into the world’s fastest four-seat car and one that is, nonetheless, an everyday, usable luxury coupe or convertible.
It sits at the pinnacle of Bentley’s luxury and performance ethos and is the ultimate iteration of a model that has come to define luxury automotive grand touring.
END
Bentley Continental Supersports Technical Specifications
