Bentley adds a 657-hp, rear-drive Supersports to the 2027 Continental GT lineup

Bentley is adding a Continental GT Supersports trim for the 2027 model year, and it breaks from the rest of the range on purpose. Where every other Continental GT pairs a twin-turbo V-8 with a plug-in hybrid system, the Supersports drops the electric motor entirely and runs a nonhybrid twin-turbo V-8 producing 657 horsepower.

What the Supersports changes

The Supersports also drops the rear seats and the standard all-wheel-drive system, moving to a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive layout instead. Bentley says the changes are aimed at cutting weight, and the resulting car is pitched as the most athletic Continental GT built to date. Only 500 examples will be produced.

It carries racier styling elements and aerodynamic modifications not fitted to the standard cars, though Bentley has not detailed specific figures for the changes. The Supersports is offered alongside the plug-in hybrid coupe and GTC convertible that continue to lead the Continental GT lineup for 2027.

How the hybrid models perform

The standard Continental GT coupe and GTC convertible use a 671-horsepower plug-in hybrid powertrain: a twin-turbocharged V-8 paired with an electric motor, driving all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission fitted as standard across the range.

Stepping up to the Speed or Mulliner trims raises combined output to 771 horsepower from the same hybrid architecture, the highest figure Bentley has fitted to a road-going Continental GT. A tested Continental GT Speed coupe reached 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, matched by a Continental GT S in the same test.

The GT S trim addresses some of the range's handling shortcomings with more aggressive chassis tuning: standard air springs with adaptive dampers, rear-axle steering, active anti-roll bars, torque vectoring and an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential.

On electric power alone, the EPA rates the 21.8-kWh battery pack for up to 30 miles of range, though a GT S test managed 49 miles running gently on the motor. Combined fuel economy is rated at 19 mpg, with 17 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.

Inside the cabin

The interior carries quilted leather upholstery on 20-way power-adjustable seats, with optional massage functions and climate control that reads cabin temperature and adjusts heating or ventilation automatically. Wood and metal trim run throughout, in keeping with the grand touring brief the Continental GT has held since its debut.

A 12.3-inch touchscreen is standard, hidden behind a rotating panel that flips to reveal a wood veneer or a bank of analog gauges instead. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, and buyers can upgrade from the standard 10-speaker stereo to a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen system or an 18-speaker Naim setup with seat-mounted bass transducers.

Rear seats fit two adults for short trips on coupe and convertible models, though the Supersports has none. Trunk space runs to 9.2 cubic feet in the coupe and 4.7 cubic feet in the GTC, whose power-folding cloth roof stows in as little as 19 seconds and comes in seven colors.

A remote parking feature lets owners park or summon the car from a smartphone, alongside the standard suite of driver-assistance systems. Buyers wanting further personalization can specify a Continental GT through Bentley's Mulliner bespoke-build service, which goes beyond the standard options list.

Pricing and warranty terms

A tested Continental GT Speed coupe carried a base price of $305,250, rising to $391,175 as equipped with carbon-ceramic brakes and 22-inch wheels. A Continental GT S came in lower, at $296,150 base and $350,630 as tested, with smaller vented discs and comparable Pirelli P Zero tires.

Bentley backs every Continental GT with a three-year warranty that carries no mileage limit, plus a complimentary first maintenance visit at one year or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. The company has not published a base price for the new Supersports trim.

Bentley builds its cars as one of the marques inside Volkswagen Group, alongside Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bugatti, a structure we mapped in our profile of the Volkswagen Group and its subsidiaries.

The Continental GT remains the grand tourer at the center of Bentley's lineup, and it is the more compact companion to the four-door Flying Spur, which shares its plug-in hybrid powertrains but offers a roomier rear seat and trunk.

We have ranked Bentley among the marques in our rundown of the best British car brands, alongside Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and McLaren, and the Continental GT is the model most associated with that reputation for glamour and heavy-handed comfort over outright agility.

The Continental GT's curb weight, at 5,415 pounds for a tested Speed coupe, remains the car's defining trade-off: sublime comfort and quiet cruising against handling and braking that trail lighter rivals, which is precisely the deficit the new Supersports is built to narrow.