How times change?in 1925, Bentley first deployed the Supersports tag on a highly tuned 3.0L model guaranteed for 100 MPH. Just 18 of those fabled machines were made. Then, in 2009, the British company revived the name with a W12-engined Continental Supersports capable of 200 MPH; production this time ran to 1,800. This, however, is something altogether more potent and a great deal rarer: a next-generation Continental Supersports that raises the bar in pace, power, agility and exclusivity. Just as the first-generation modern-era Supersports added power, lightness and menace to the Continental without sacrificing luxury, so does this ultimate evolution of the theme. The previous model?s 621 HP W12 has been uprated to a prodigious 700 HP, which equates to a 10% increase in the power-to-weight ratio, contributed to by carbon fiber accents and aerodynamic aids on the much revised and bolder body form. Correspondingly, the suspension has been lowered and further uprated while a new torque converter locks up more readily for even faster acceleration; agility, too, has been enhanced with torque-vectoring technology from the race-derived GT3-R. Then there?s the all-wheel drive system and an 8-speed version of the ZF automatic transmission.
For further distinction and exclusivity, Bentley limited production to a mere 710?its horsepower rating in metric PS units?including both coupes and convertibles. In many ways, it?s the four-seat convertible that is the defining ...