A CENTURY years after the birth of the first Bentley ‘Super Sports', the nameplate returns to Bentley for only the fourth Supersports model in history.

The new Bentley Supersports is the most driver-focused Continental GT ever, with rear-wheel drive, a two-seat cabin and a gross weight below two tonnes.

A non-hybrid, pure internal combustion powertrain has a new 657bhp, 800 Nm twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 at its heart, with power fed through an eight-speed double clutch gearbox to the rear wheels only.

Carbon ceramic brakes, new 22-inch lightweight forged wheels developed with Manthey Racing and an Akrapovic full-length titanium exhaust system are standard, while Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres are available.

Bentley says the exterior represents the most purposeful Continental GT ever, with a series of form-following-function developments to maximise downforce and save weight.

A new front bumper integrates the biggest front splitter ever fitted to a Bentley road car, and feeds cooling air to the engine and front brakes.

Carbon fibre dive planes, side sills, fender blades and a rear diffuser and fixed rear wing combine to generate more than 300 kg more downforce than a Continental GT Speed.

The weight saving regime extends to the roof, which is now a carbon fibre panel to also lower centre of gravity whilst maintaining structural stiffness.

Inside, the two-seat cabin features new, bolstered sports seats, positioned lower in the car, with the rear cabin environment replaced with a carbon fibre and leather shell.

Bentley's Chairman and CEO, Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, said: "The new Supersports is more than just the most driver-focused Bentley yet. It signifies a return to Bentley making more extreme cars - ones that combine extraordinary breadth of ability with true driver engagement, while remaining pieces of automotive artwork unique and bespoke to each customer."

The new Supersports is the product of an idea that was first proposed in September 2024, when a small engineering team theorised how a rear-wheel drive, sub-two-tonne Continental GT might behave dynamically.

Approval was given for them to build one test mule, which took to the track only six weeks later, to prove their concept.

The word Supersports is a modern amalgamation of one of the most evocative names from Bentley history - "Super Sports" - first applied to a Bentley 100 years ago this year.

The first Super Sports was launched in 1925 and based on the 3 Litre, with an uprated engine and shorter, and therefore lighter chassis, meaning it was the first Bentley capable of exceeding 100 mph.

It also established the second aspect that defines "Super Sports" - rarity, with only 18 examples built.

Dormant for decades, the Supersports name - now one word - roared back to life in 2009 with a 204-mph revival, defining the pinnacle model of the first-generation Continental GT. This was the first two-seat variant of the Continental family, was 100 kg lighter than the standard car, and the most driver-focused Bentley of the day.

It was eclipsed in 2017 by an even faster, more thrilling successor, based on the second-generation Continental GT. Like the first generation Continental Supersports it was powered by a 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12, but now generating 710 ps- making it then the most powerful Bentley ever. 710 examples were produced, to match the power output.

The previous generations of Supersports all defined the ultimate performance version of their respective model families.

The new Supersports takes this approach in a different direction; rather than focusing on top speed, the target is maximum driver engagement, through a combination of weight reduction - the most extreme in Bentley's history - and a new powertrain.

The powertrain of the new Supersports is non-hybrid and purely Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). A new, strengthened 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 is the heart of the car - with a stronger crankcase, uprated cylinder heads and larger turbos.

The changes yield the highest power density of any Bentley engine - 65 bhp (166.5ps per litre), with 800 Nm of torque. Coupled to the engine is the ZF eight-speed double clutch transmission used across the Bentley model range, but redeveloped for the Supersports with uprated clutches and a new shifting strategy.

Bentley says gear shifts are now sharper and more responsive, while the downshift strategy during braking has been precisely calibrated to deliver optimal stability and driver confidence.

The engine breathes though a full-length titanium exhaust which is tuned to be significantly more characterful than any previous Bentley. Developed in conjunction with Bentley partners AkrapoviÄ and unique to Supersports, the complete system amplifies and tunes the cross-plane V8 note to be extremely compelling - deep, powerful and completely authentic, with no artificial in-cabin enhancement.

The sprint to 62 mph will be dispatched in 3.7 seconds, and top speed will be circa 192 mph.

ESC settings allow the driver to select how much independence or assistance they would prefer - from fully-on, through a Dynamic Mode that allows a level of slip and oversteer within reactive limits, to fully-off - where the driver has complete control of the rear axle, and can provoke the Supersports into significant but highly controllable oversteer.

The new Supersports is nearly half a tonne lighter than the Continental GT and will weigh less than 2000 kg with the rear cabin fittings removed.

Additional weight savings come the deletion of certain driver assistance systems, not required on a driver-focused GT.

Every Supersports will be individually numbered before it leaves the factory, with customers able to request specific numbers from the 500 examples that will be handcrafted in Crewe.

Production is scheduled to start towards the end of next year and prices will be in the region of £350,000 for each of the 500 cars to be made.