Bentley is giving the Continental GT Supersports badge a very different personality this time around. Instead of building the ultimate numbers car, the 2027 Continental GT Supersports has been reimagined as a machine for people who care more about feel and finesse than outright bragging rights. It is still a 600-plus horsepower grand tourer dripping with luxury, but the big story is how much Bentley has taken away in the name of driver involvement.

The headline change is under the hood. Out goes the plug-in hybrid setup from the latest Continental GT, and in comes a standalone twin turbo 4.0-liter V8 tuned to 657 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Power goes exclusively to the rear wheels through an eight speed dual clutch transmission, making this the first rear wheel drive Continental GT since the nameplate was reborn in the early 2000s. Bentley quotes a 0 to 62 mph run of 3.7 seconds and a top speed around 192 mph, and early estimates suggest a 0 to 60 mph time near 3.3 seconds, a touch off the GT Speed on paper but with a very different flavor behind the wheel.

What really sets this car apart is the weight loss mission. Previous Supersports models still tipped the scales well over 5,000 pounds, even after bragging about diet programs. This new generation attacks mass in a way we are not used to seeing from Crewe. Bentley says the Supersports has shed roughly 1,000 pounds versus a comparable hybrid GT, bringing curb weight to under 4,400 pounds. That is achieved through the deletion of the rear seats, reduced sound deadening, a slimmed down audio system, and the use of lightweight front seats, all wrapped in an interior that still looks properly Bentley with rich leather, carbon fiber, and beautiful switchgear.

The body and chassis get the same obsessive treatment. A carbon fiber roof panel replaces steel, while more carbon is used for the lower front fascia, the rear diffuser, and a fixed rear wing that gives the big coupe real track car stance. Underneath, the Supersports retains four wheel steering, air springs, and the 48 volt active anti roll system from the regular Continental, but the calibration is unique. Drive modes labeled Touring, Bentley, and Sport are tailored for this model, helped by carbon silicon carbide brakes and a full titanium Akrapovič exhaust that saves weight and promises much louder, more natural V8 sound inside the cabin.

Bentley is not pretending this is a stripped out special for track rats, though. It is still a two seat luxury GT with heat and power adjustment for the front seats, proper materials everywhere you look, and enough comfort to cross continents at a serious rate of speed. The difference is that when you arrive at a set of twisting roads, the car should finally feel as light on its feet as its power and price suggest. With rear wheel drive, a locking rear differential, brake based torque vectoring, and those big carbon brakes, the Supersports is meant to rotate and communicate in a way no modern Continental has before.

Exclusivity is very much part of the story. Bentley plans to build just 500 examples of the 2027 Continental GT Supersports for markets around the world, including the United States. Production is set to begin late next year, with first customer deliveries scheduled for early 2027. Pricing will start above $486,000 before options and personalization, which means most cars will end up even deeper into six figure territory by the time buyers are done with the Mulliner options list.

For a brand that is already transitioning hard into electrified performance, the new Supersports feels like a carefully aimed farewell letter to the traditional grand tourer. No hybrid boost, no front drive safety net, and a serious focus on cutting mass give this Continental a personality that stands apart from its plug in siblings. It looks like the car Bentley built for the customer who still loves the idea of a long hood, a big front engined V8, power going only to the rear, and a chassis that wants to talk rather than isolate. In other words, it really is one for the purists.