2017 Bentley Continental GT Supersports 6.0L W12 8AT AWD (710 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Bentley introduced the special edition Supersports for the Continental GT in 2017 for the 2018 model year and built it in just 710 units, from which just 250 have been allocated to the U.S. market.

The British luxury car manufacturer had a very long history of producing exclusive, high-performance vehicles. Its presence at the 24 Hours of LeMans or other races were legitimate reasons to brag about itself. In addition, its vehicles were built mostly for the one behind the wheel rather than for those seated in the back, and the Continental GT was no exception.

For this second generation of the Continental GT, Bentley created a special edition named Supersports to end it before introducing its successor in 2018. It could have just added some trims, stickers, and a higher price and called it a day, but it didn’t want to do that. Instead, it gave the majestic coupe built for long travels a special exterior package, a refined interior, and other technical improvements.

In January 2017, Bentley announced the launch of this new version and released the pictures for it so everybody could see the significant enhancements. At the front, the car sported a new lower bumper with a deeper apron that sported a broad hexagonal grille flanked by two pairs of scoops and an additional carbon fiber splitter underneath it. The hood also had new vents on it that helped cool the mighty W12 engine underneath it.

From its profile, the GT Supersports revealed its unique 21” light-alloy wheels that saved 20 kilos (44 lbs.) from unsprung masses and the redesigned side sills. Finally, at the back, to complete the aggressive look, customers could also order a carbon fiber wing on the trunk and an oval rifled exhaust tailpipe design.

Inside, the car manufacturer offered a luxurious but sporty cabin with an extensive leather package that covered the seats, some parts of the door cards, the ceiling, and the dashboard. In front of the driver, the automaker installed an instrument cluster with the same dials as in the rest of the Continental GT range.

Bentley offered the car with standard sports seats up front, but the rear bench seat was similar to the rest of the Continental GT range, although with specific Supersports upholstery. On the center stack, the touchscreen for the infotainment system controlled not just the sound or the navigation system but also the interior ambiance lighting system.

Under the hood, the powerplant was enhanced compared to the rest of the Continental GT range and gained almost 100 ponies over its sibling, the GT Speed, reaching 700 hp (710 PS) that were sent in all corners via an eight-speed automatic transmission with a rear-biased torque distribution for a better driving feel. It was the most powerful Bentley to that date.