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Bentley will imminently unveil a new Continental Supersports as a high-end, rear-driven model with a pure-combustion V8 packing more than 640bhp, Autocar can exclusively reveal – and it will serve as a showcase for a line of new “extreme” performance cars.

Spy photographers recently captured the new model testing, with the prototype’s large rear spoiler and bold quad exhausts hinting at its performance edge. The test car otherwise sported standard bodywork, but Autocar sources have confirmed that the production version, set to be revealed late this year, will receive a far more dramatic makeover from the recently updated standard Continental GT.

The sporting remit of the new model is shown by the intention to revive the rarely used Supersports name, which last appeared in 2017 on a range-topping version of the previous-generation Continental, featuring a 6.0-litre W12 engine tuned to 700bhp.

The new Continental Supersports is understood to be conceived to showcase how, uniquely among high-end car brands, Bentley has the heritage to offer both luxury – as demonstrated by the recent EXP 15 concept – and performance. Bentley boss Frank-Steffen Walliser has previously told Autocar of plans for “more extreme” models that would reinforce the brand’s sporting heritage and credentials. It is believed the new Supersports will be the first example of that, with other models tipped to follow.

The retirement of Bentley’s W12 engine in favour of a twin-turbo V8 means the new Supersports won’t have as much power as its predecessor. It will also be less potent than the top-spec Continental GT Speed, which produces 771bhp from a plug-in hybrid powertrain. However, it’s understood that extreme lightweighting measures mean the non-electrified Supersports will be able to serve as a “pure-performance” model.

The Supersports is set to retain the 4.0-litre twinturbo V8 from the GT Speed, but our sources claim the unit has been reconfigured and output boosted from 592bhp to around 640bhp, while the 188bhp gearbox-mounted electric motor has been ditched. Whereas the GT Speed is all-wheel drive, the Supersports will be purely rear-driven.

The real key to extracting extreme performance from the new Supersports will be the weight-saving measures undertaken by Bentley’s development team in Crewe. Sources suggest that the car will weigh around 2000kg, compared with 2459kg for the GT Speed. That would make it the lightest Bentley in decades and our sources say it will be capable of matching the GT Speed’s 0-60mph time of 3.1sec.

Ditching the PHEV system is a fundamental aspect of the weight-saving but the Supersports is also likely to feature measures such as carbonfibre bodywork elements (including the roof), lightweight sports seats in the front and the removal of the rear seats.

Other performance changes will include the use of Akrapovic exhausts, custom lightweight wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes. Weight-saving has been a feature of the previous two Continental Supersports, but the new car is said to take that approach to the next level.

The bodywork will be given a major makeover for the Supersports, partly to match its ‘extreme’ focus and also to aid performance. The large rear spoiler seen in spy shots will remain and the car will also feature aggressive air channelling and extended ground effects to optimise its aerodynamics.

The new Continental Supersports is understood to be a strictly limited-run model. Its production run is believed to be in the low hundreds and pricing is set to start at around £400,000.

That’s a significant uplift from the £237,000 starting point for the GT Speed – and, given the high-end customers being targeted, virtually every example of the Supersports is expected to feature customisation from the Mulliner division, ranging from special exterior paint designs to interior trim offerings.

The new Supersports has already been shown to a limited number of customers and several orders have been placed. The model is understood to be on track for a public reveal later this year before deliveries begin late in 2026.