Concept
Creating the most powerful Bentley road car ever, meant pushing the boundaries of 21st century technology. The result is an all-wheel drive supercar that is faster and more agile than any Bentley built for the road. Available as a two-seater coupe of four-seater convertible, its muscular exterior and distinctive interior styling is unmistakably Bentley in its design and craftmanship. This car created through the continuing desire to reach new limits. This is Continental Supersports.
The Continental Supersport represent a perfect relationship between engineering and design with the enhanced iconic GT looks reflecting and heightening the supercar performance.
The fastest ,most powerful Bentley ever.
Design
- Revised front air intakes and new bonnet vents to improve airflow and cooling
- Flared rear wings to accommodate wider rear track
- Discreet bootlid spoiler benefetting aerodynamic balance at high speed.
The increased power and torque of the W12 engine necessitated an additional 10 per cent airflow to the twin turbocharger intercoolers and cooling system. With extensive use of Computational Fluid Dynamics techniques, Bentley’s designers responded with a purposeful and dramatic style, featuring large vertical intake apertures. Twin bonnet vents were added to ensure positive air extraction.
Similarly, all-new flared rear wings that accommodate the 50mm (2 inches) wider rear track are designed to emphasise the powerful stance of this ultra-high performance Convertible. The resultant Supersports Convertible style combines the looks of the graceful Continental GTC with a wide, low and muscular appearance that reflects its more extreme character.
The Supersports Convertible, in common with its Coupé stablemate, occupies a position within the Bentley portfolio which is all its own, as Raul Pires, Head of Exterior Design, explains.
“The Supersports Convertible and Coupé are the ultimate driver’s Bentleys and that is reflected in unique design cues that provide a bold, sporting look, from whatever angle the cars are admired. Even from 50 metres behind on a dark road, you can just tell it’s a Supersports.”
From the front, the radiator, lower grille and dual bonnet vents are finished in a striking Smoked Steel finish. Derived from an innovative technology normally used to apply a coating to luxury watches and specialised industrial tools, Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) is a complex and time-consuming process that involves vaporised metal being deposited onto the surface of, in this case, stainless steel.
Giving a darker, more solid appearance, it is the first use of a PVD finish on stainless steel in the car industry. In addition to the Smoked Steel finishes, a gloss black finish to the headlamp casings and rear lamp clusters gives the Supersports convertible’s distinctive face and muscular rear additional visual impact.
Restyled – and more aerodynamic – door mirrors match the exterior paint choice and the window and door surrounds replace polished stainless steel with a Smoked Steel finish to match the front grille. Eye-catching, black gloss Bentley-branded brake calipers act on the carbon ceramic brakes. Surrounding the brakes are the unique 20-inch, forged alloy wheels with Smoked Steel-finish which are exclusive to Supersports models. Large diameter tailpipe trims round out the car’s purposeful stance when viewed from the rear. Beneath the bonnet Supersports badges grace the cover of the 630PS (621bhp) W12 engine.
The Supersports Convertible has an electrically operated, three-layer fabric hood with advanced acoustic insulation to provide superb levels of refinement and comfort when raised. A choice of eight hood colours are available, including a new Dark Grey Metallic option, which is achieved by weaving a 'grey' acrylic fibre with a semi-transparent 'metallic effect' fibre in a twill weave construction to create a directional colour effect.
Interior Design
Inside the Supersports Convertible, the cockpit is a dramatic execution of iconic Bentley design displayed in its full glory every time the roof is lowered. Dirk van Braeckel, Director of Design and Styling, describes the approach taken by his interior design team:
“The design team has fully embraced the spirit of Supersports to create a dramatic interpretation of Bentley luxury for the new Convertible where traditional craftsmanship and fine detailing are given a very different interpretation. Leather hides combine with new materials for Bentley such as satin-finished carbon fibre and Alcantara™ to create a unique ambience with a distinctly sporting and contemporary style.”
Lightweight carbon fibre is featured throughout the cabin, from the unique carbon-weave treadplates with Supersports script in both doorwells to the sculpted lightweight sports front seats, which feature a carbon fibre clamshell back and Diamond-quilted Alcantara™. Each seat weighs just 21kg and, in a typical example of attention to detail, the visible weave in the carbon fibre has a ‘Bentley-specific’ density to ensure the perfect visual finish.
The Continental Supersports is the first Bentley to offer a combination of soft-grip leather and performance-enhancing Alcantara™ alongside the leather hide. Alcantara™ is favoured by racing teams for its ability to provide additional grip under extreme conditions, such as cornering. But it is also sensational to look at, as well as being immensely supportive on the road or track.
The Alcantara™ applied to the rear compartment, door panels and seat facings is quilted and in the Supersports marks the return of the much smaller ‘diamond’ upholstery pattern from Bentleys of old. To further highlight the car’s sporting nature, the steering wheel and gear lever are trimmed in new ‘Soft Grip’ leather with extra grip for a supercar feel, and drilled alloy sports pedals stand out in the driver’s footwell.
“The design team has fully embraced the spirit of Supersports to create a dramatic interpretation of Bentley luxury for the new Convertible where traditional craftsmanship and fine detailing are given a very different interpretation. Leather hides combine with new materials for Bentley such as satin-finished carbon fibre and Alcantara™ to create a unique ambience with a distinctly sporting and contemporary style.”
Lightweight carbon fibre is featured throughout the cabin, from the unique carbon-weave treadplates with Supersports script in both doorwells to the sculpted lightweight sports front seats, which feature a carbon fibre clamshell back and Diamond-quilted Alcantara™. Each seat weighs just 21kg and, in a typical example of attention to detail, the visible weave in the carbon fibre has a ‘Bentley-specific’ density to ensure the perfect visual finish.
The Continental Supersports is the first Bentley to offer a combination of soft-grip leather and performance-enhancing Alcantara™ alongside the leather hide. Alcantara™ is favoured by racing teams for its ability to provide additional grip under extreme conditions, such as cornering. But it is also sensational to look at, as well as being immensely supportive on the road or track.
The Alcantara™ applied to the rear compartment, door panels and seat facings is quilted and in the Supersports marks the return of the much smaller ‘diamond’ upholstery pattern from Bentleys of old. To further highlight the car’s sporting nature, the steering wheel and gear lever are trimmed in new ‘Soft Grip’ leather with extra grip for a supercar feel, and drilled alloy sports pedals stand out in the driver’s footwell.
Technical Feature
Engine
Beneath the bonnet you will find a 621bhp Flexfuel twin-turbo charged 12-cylinder engine. It’s the most powerful Bentley engine ever designed. And it’s environmentally sustainable. Capable of producing immense power whether running on Bioethanol, petrol or any combination of the two. The black creackle finish to the engine cover and unique "Supersports" script engine badge is more than a hint to its aggressive styling and phenomenal power.
Torque
Producing a remarkable 590lb ft (800Nm) of torque the Continental Supersports delivers uncompromised supercar performance. Torque is the forcethat change a steady state of motion, unlike power, which is the force that maintain it. When you accelerate it is the torque that you feel changing the rate of motion, not just the power. In a Bentley, torque is very much in the foreground of the driving experience. The continental supersport develops a maximum torque of 590lb ft(800Nm) at 2000-4500rpm, translating to an immediate sensation of power as the accelerator is touched. The advance Electronic Stability Programme offers discrete and unobtrusive control. The electronic throttle control has been recalibrated to ensure that power is restored virtuallyinstantaneously after ESC system has been used.
Performance
Refined, agile and stunningly quick. The supreme potency of the Continental Supersports makes for an aggressive, driver centric car. Blistering 0-60 mph sprint times and top speeds in excess of 200mph (320km/h) are not achieved by the impressive 621 bhp (630PS) engine alone. To achieve such performance, weight was reduced, suspension lowered and an advanced allwhell drive system added to complement a 40:60 rear biased power delivery for greater stability.
Quickshift
The impressive new 6-speed quickshift transmission matches the peerless engine for an adrenaline fuelled experience. Astonishing 200 millisecond gearshifts and effortless double downshifting. All with a simple touch of the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, improving acceleration and response times throughout the whole gear range.
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