Bentley's 657 HP Supersports Just Lost Its Head
Because who wouldn't want a 657 horsepower convertible?
The Bentley Supersports coupe is the most hardcore spinoff from the Continental series you can buy, and also the brand's lightest car in 85 years. But we all know how hard it is to keep those pounds off after an extreme diet, and judging from these new spy shot, Bentley knows it too. They show a Supersports convertible that could debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November.
Our photo crew captured the luxury bruiser dressed in a stealthy coat of matte black paint, complemented by black wheels. A distinctive grille, a deep front splitter with massive side air intakes, and double dive planes on each side of the front bumper give away its Supersports identity from the front.
SH Proshots
The angry aesthetic continues along the side with a wider track than a stock Continental GTC convertible. There are also big sill extensions, an integrated rear diffuser, and a large single-piece spoiler mounted on the trunk lid. Supersport coupes come with a choice of a Pirelli P-Zero tire, as fitted to this prototype, or a more extreme Trofeo RS for track work.
Track work? Sounds nuts, we know, but the Supersport is the nearest thing Bentley's built to a 911 GT3, which shouldn't come as a surprise given that it was conceived and engineered under the watch of CEO Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, who headed up the 918 Spyder project while at Porsche. And if Porsche can do a GT3 convertible in the S/C, then why can't Bentley?
Less power, bigger price
Although it is clearly based on the Continental, the Supersports dropped the C-word, and plenty besides. Out went the standard coupe's hybrid hardware, and also its front differential and driveshafts, making it the first rear-wheel drive Continental in the model's 23-year history. Swapping the stock aluminium roof skin for a carbon one, and deleting the rear seats, also contributed to an almost 1,000 lbs (455 kg) weight reduction, bringing the curb weight to just under 4,410 lbs (2,000 kg).
The convertible won't be that light – there's a 390 lbs (177 kg) difference between a regular Continental and GTC. But it should give owners a chance to hear more of the full-length titanium exhaust that Bentley developed with Akrapovic. And it should still feel quick enough to nap your neck back when you jump on the right pedal. The Supersport coupe's 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 gained bigger turbos and upgraded cylinder heads to help it send 657 horsepower (666 PS) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission to the rear wheels.
SH Proshots
The hybrid Contis make far more power, up to 771 hp (782 PS) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm), but anyone who buys a Supersport knows they're buying a Bentley in which performance is measured in more than straight-line speed. And they'll have to be happy paying far more for their slower, but more nimble car. All 500 of the Supersport coupes sold quickly despite their $490,150 price, making them around $140,000 more expensive than a Continental GT Speed. We're expecting Bentley to replicate that 500-unit run with the convertible, which we imagine will cost well over $500,000.