Exterior styling changes are mild. "This is not a styling exercise," says Eichhorn. "Form follows function." You have to look closely to notice the new rear quarter panels, so subtly are they flared to cover the increased track. The gaping maws on either side of the new front-bumper fascia funnel more air into the improved intercooling system, and the gills on the hood are designed to vent hot air from the engine bay. A new rear-bumper fascia includes revised exhaust outlets. Perhaps the one concession to style is the trick smoked chrome finish on all the brightwork.
Inside, the rear seat has been removed and the standard seats replaced by a pair of carbon fiber framed buckets. These two modifications alone account for about half the weight savings over the GT Speed. The seatbelts are now mounted to the bodyshell, and a large brace running across the cabin behind the seats not only improves structural rigidity, but also acts as a handy luggage restraint. The quilted suede-and-leather trim combination is standard and can be ordered in matching or contrasting colors. As you'd expect in a Bentley, it's a spectacular-looking interior.
The Continental Supersports will arrive in the U.S. in 2010. And despite the current economic meltdown, Ulrich Eichhorn has no doubt they'll sell. "We know a few hundred customers by name who will jump at this." More important, though, the Continental Supersports previews a dramatic shift in Bentley's powertrain strategy: By 2012, all Bentley engines will be bio-fuel capable. Big, heavy, fast -- and green. How Bentley.
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