An Iconic Name From Bentley's Past Is Revived, And It Can Only Mean One Thing

Bentley made an unexpected announcement this week. A new Bentley Supersports model will be unveiled in New York at 20:30 EST on November 13th. The car will mark the return of the brand's Supersports badge, reserved only for the automaker's most extreme performance models. It's a name that hasn't made an appearance all too often in the brand's history, and for good reason: it directly contradicts the luxury image Bentley has cultivated.

Bentley's New Supercar Will Be Its Lightest Modern Car Yet

Bentley has little to offer in the way of details. The new car will be the lightest "car of the modern Bentley era." It'll also be exclusively rear-wheel drive, for maximum "driver engagement." Finally, Bentley will only offer the car in a limited run, as was the case with past Supersports models.

This last tidbit suggests the car will rival one-off Bentley models like the Batur in terms of exclusivity and performance. Don't expect a series production run for these. Furthermore, expect they're already more than sold. Bespoke automakers like Bentley often turn to loyal (and heinously wealthy) clientele for cars like this, obtaining deposits long before the car is even produced.

The details follow a single teaser image from earlier this year, which suggests the new model will be based on the brand's sportiest offering: the Continental. That also lines up with the last few Supersports cars, which used the luxury sports coupe as a base. The Grand Touring sports car is a bit portly, and Bentley will have its work cut out for it.

Supersports: A History

Bentley reserves this name for its nastiest, fastest cars. The 2017 Continental Supersports was, at the time, the most powerful Bentley yet, with more than 700 horsepower and 750 lb-ft of torque. It was also lighter, built for the race track and not the winding country lanes usually associated with Bentleys.

Supersports, however, is much more closely associated with motorsports. Bentley's 1920s Le Mans victories inspired the name, derived from the 1925 Bentley Supersports, a race-bred version of the iconic Bentley 3 Litre, that yielded an impressive 85 bhp at a time when more ordinary cars were barely touching 15 bhp. It was also the first production car to reach 100mph. While breaking such milestones is much more difficult in 2025, the latest should be a serious performer when it does eventually see the light of day.