The exhaust system also was revised for freer breathing and to invite a crackling backfire during downshifts. HIGHS: Turbocharged W-12's torque shades a Hellcat, effortless speed, serious brakes. Bigger turbochargers feed into a reworked intake system via revised intercoolers, new main and connecting-rod bearings reduce friction, and the programmers recalibrated the fuel injection, ignition timing, and cam phasing.

Starting with the Speed version, Bentley engineers followed some conventional paths to push it up to 700 horsepower in the Supersports. From the 552 horsepower this engine offered in the 2004 Continental GT, output has increased to 582 in today’s equivalent model and 633 ponies in the GT Speed. This new one employs twice that displacement and three times the cylinders, with its 6.0-liter W-12. Bentley guaranteed the original could top 100 mph, powered by a 3.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The first use was in 1925 when the name was “Super Sport,” two words and singular. The name Supersports also appeared on a 2009–2012 Continental, of which 1900 were built. The first coupes will be 2017 models, and the convertible will be added for 2018. Customer demand will determine the body-style mix of the 710-car production run, 250 of which will be allocated to America. In addition to the 209-mph coupe, the Supersports also will be offered as a convertible rated for a top speed of 205 mph. The Same Continental as Ever, Only More So Aerodynamic resistance finally wins at 209 mph, Bentley says, asserting that this makes the Supersports not only the speediest Bentley ever but also the fastest four-seat automobile in the world.

Just tap into its deep wells of power and torque and the big all-wheel-drive coupe shoots forward-and seems happy to keep it up for so long as the driver’s courage holds out. Yet there’s no cloud of tire smoke, no tail wagging, no speed-boating rear-axle squat here. Its maker claims the Supersports coupe takes only 3.4 seconds to reach 60 mph, the same time we measured for a 707-hp Dodge Charger Hellcat and for the previous fastest Bentley, the limited-edition GT3-R. This sense of incongruity was only heightened by the Bentley’s preternatural calm as it did ridiculous things on our drive over roads outside Lisbon, Portugal, and on the track at Estoril, a former Formula 1 venue.

First Drive: 2019 Bentley Continental GT.

Yacht Rock: 2017 High-Dollar Convertibles Compared.

Tested: Updated 2016 Bentley Continental GT V8 S.

Continental Driven, Tested, and Compared!

Bentley continental gt supersport