Bentley Continental Supersports Review

In its quest for greater performance, Bentley went about creating the Continental Supersports. As the most powerful road-going Continental GT to date, the Supersports boasts a 621-horsepower W12 engine and modifications for increased cornering performance. Weight has also been trimmed thanks to the removal of the rear seats and the addition of lightweight front seats.

The race-inspired cockpit should be a delight for the enthusiast driver, with carbon fiber and faux suede adorning most surfaces. Interested parties should be aware, however, that the Supersports and Supersports Convertible sacrifice ride quality in the name of performance. And even with those concessions, these ultimate Bentleys are still outclassed by most other exotic cars.

Current Bentley Continental Supersports
The Bentley Continental Supersports is a high-performance variant of the Continental GT and GT Speed. Feature highlights for the Supersports include 20-inch wheels, carbon-ceramic brakes, a rear spoiler, bi-xenon headlamps, parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control, manual lightweight seats, faux-suede upholstery and trim, carbon-fiber trim, a navigation system and a 10-speaker stereo with 15GB of music storage, an iPod interface and satellite radio. A convertible model is also available and adds a power-folding cloth top.

Options are scarce and are limited to a power trunk, a rearview camera, multiple two-tone interior color choices, a 15-speaker Naim premium audio system and the option to reinstall the regular Continental GT's seats.

The Bentley Continental Supersports is powered by a 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 that produces an impressive 621 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is the only transmission offered and all-wheel drive is standard. Handling is notably sharper than supporting Continental models, but the Supersports still feels like the big heavy car it is. The stiffer suspension also imparts quite a bit of ride harshness -- something to consider if you're expecting the typical Bentley luxuriousness.

Luxury remains intact where the interior is concerned, although race-inspired carbon fiber and faux suede replaces some of the customary Bentley leather and wood veneer trim. Craftsmanship and assembly is, as expected, top-notch. We do have some misgivings about the standard lightweight racing seats, however, as they lack height adjustments, are manually operated and are custom fit to the driver. This may cause issues when the car changes hands, but customers can opt for the standard powered seats found in the Continental GT.

Used Bentley Continental Supersports
Introduced in the 2010 model year, the Bentley Continental Supersports has seen little in the way of changes. The Supersports Convertible joined the lineup in 2011. Notably, the 2010 and '11 Supersports had a less advanced infotainment interface that suffered from a small screen and nonintuitive controls.

If you are looking for older years, visit our used Bentley Continental Supersports page.