Bentley Prepping a New Continental GT Supersports With One Key Difference

Bentley is planning to add a rare, rear-drive Continental GT Supersports variant as part of a major product offensive featuring a diverse mix of models and powertrains designed to appeal to its exclusive clientele: everything from high-strung sports cars to plug-in hybrids to its first ever pure electric vehicle.

On November 14, Bentley is set to reveal what it says will be one of the most extreme Continental GTs it's ever produced and the first ever rear-drive GT, according to Bentley chairman and CEO Frank Steffen-Walliser. “We will use the famous 100-year-old name of Supersports. It will be a true driver’s car,” he announced during a press conference from Bentley’s home and manufacturing complex in Crewe, U.K.

The limited run production model will mark only the fourth time that Bentley has used the Supersports badge for a GT, so it's guaranteed to be exclusive. Bentley also says the super light hardcore performance-themed GT will also be fitted with several unique technical features, and it will be internal combustion powered only. “This is pure excitement,” Steffen-Walliser said of the new Supersports. We don't doubt him.

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Despite moving aggressively into the plug-in hybrid space, the Supersports is another model that showcases Bentley's continued commitment to the internal combustion engine as part of its broader strategy to offer a variety of powertrains.

For example, the luxury brand added the Bentayga Speed earlier this year with a V-8. Half of Bentayga orders are now for the Speed, said Matthias Rabe, head of R&D, and Bentley isn't ruling out further ICE-only variants of existing models.

First Bentley EV Still Coming

On the other end of the powertrain spectrum, Bentley's compact luxury urban electric SUV is still in the works. We've been hearing about the upcoming EV for a while. Smaller and lower slung than the Bentayga, it's being designed for greater agility, with a tight turning radius and enhanced performance on- and off-road.

The as-yet unnamed SUV rides on the Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) with 800-volt electrical architecture for fast charging. The luxury SUV will add 100 miles of charge in less than seven minutes, said Rabe. The batteries are assembled in Europe.

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While modern and advanced from a platform perspective, it's being developed to be true Bentley with the comfort of a Flying Spur, the agility of a GT, and breakneck 0-60 mph acceleration, according to Rabe, with endless possibilities for personalization. Rabe said it will be an EV designed to excite all the senses, with each SUV employing 30 square meters of leather and more than 30,000 stitches.

Bentley says the new SUV will be revealed next year with deliveries beginning in 2027. Prototypes are being built now in Crewe and executives have been driving the early builds. The timeline is set in stone, preparations are done, and suppliers are on board, the executive team insists.

Asking about firm timelines is a fair question given that the Beyond 100 plan that Bentley announced five years ago called for a switch to EVs by the end of the decade. It was followed by the Beyond 100+ plan that said Bentley would build plug-in hybrids until at least 2035 with a new model every year starting in 2026. The present plan is to continue to offer hybridized models of the Continental GT coupe, Convertible, and Flying Spur until at least 2035.

Bentayga Set For Life

There are no plans for a future large vehicle like the discontinued Mulsanne. The Flying Spur is now Bentley’s large flagship sedan and will continue to be. There will always be a Bentayga, as well. It's one of the brand’s most successful cars and understandably, Bentley will never leave the SUV segment. A next-generation Bentayga is in the early stages of development, but it's too early to talk about timing or content, said Steffen-Walliser.

The market has been volatile thanks to tariffs and geopolitical issues. Bentley's two biggest markets: the U.S. and China, are experiencing difficult conditions, Steffen-Walliser said. But there are no plans to make vehicles in the U.S. or elsewhere. Bentley has invested heavily in updating its facilities in Crewe, and its ultra luxury British cars will continue to be built in the U.K. come what may, according to the leadership.

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