The Bentley Supersports is a lightweight, performance-focused car with a new V8 engine, active suspension, and functional aerodynamics, designed as the lightest Bentley in 85 years.
<aside class="pullbox sidebar fullwidth">Bentley provided flights from Washington, DC, to Monterey, California, and accommodation so Ars could drive the Supersports, as well as ride in a preproduction Torcal EV, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/08/an-ev-that-sounds-like-a-6-75-l-v8-a-ride-in-the-bentley-torcal/">which we wrote about</a> last week. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.</aside>
<p>MONTEREY, Calif.—Last week, we <a href="https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/08/an-ev-that-sounds-like-a-6-75-l-v8-a-ride-in-the-bentley-torcal/">brought news</a> of the Bentley Torcal, a new electric vehicle that the luxury automaker has been cooking up at its HQ in Crewe, England. The company wants to attract new customers with its first battery EV, part of a plan to make sustainability as much a part of the brand's character as its high-end fit and finish. W12 engines have given way to V8 plug-in hybrid power, and the new Continental GT is <a href="https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/05/the-2025-bentley-continental-gt-the-highs-and-lows-of-borrowed-bits/">all the better for it</a>.</p>
<p>But around the same time as Ars <a href="https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/05/heres-what-we-learned-driving-a-prototype-of-bentleys-new-hybrid-gt/">got its first experience</a> of that new PHEV two-door on a rather wet Spanish racetrack, some of Bentley's boffins were wondering what might happen if you also built one without the hybrid stuff.</p>
<p>Or all-wheel drive—something that has been a characteristic of every new road-going Bentley since the turn of the century. That would certainly cut the curb weight. So, too, would leaving out the rear seats. That sort of idea leads down a well-trodden path for some OEMs, and Porsche in particular is famous for making stripped-out road cars inspired by its race cars and making money from them, too.</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/08/the-bentley-supersports-a-stripped-out-engineers-indulgence/">Read full article</a></p>
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# The Bentley Supersports: A stripped-out engineer's indulgence
Source: [https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/08/the-bentley-supersports-a-stripped-out-engineers-indulgence/](https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/08/the-bentley-supersports-a-stripped-out-engineers-indulgence/)
## The lightest Bentley since 1941
The engine is actually a new variant of Bentley’s 4\.0 L V8, with a strengthened engine block, new cylinder heads, and larger turbos\. There’s also a dual\-mass flywheel, but it remains wet\-sumped\. With 657 hp \(490 kW\) and 590 lb\-ft \(800 Nm\), the Supersports isn’t the most powerful Bentley ever made, but it may be the most driver\-focused\. Both front and rear axles feature 48 V active anti\-roll bars that can react in a third of a second, applying up to 960 lb\-ft \(1,300 Nm\) of reaction torque to keep the car flat\. The twin\-valve dampers and air suspension have been recalibrated in Touring, Bentley, and Sport modes\. And on the optional Pirelli Trofeo RS tires, it will corner at 1\.3 Gs\.
The Supersports certainly looks the part as it descends into that most famous of Laguna Seca’s corners \(which is being renamed the “Zanardi Corkscrew” next weekend\)\. You don’t really notice the carbon\-fiber roof that helps keep the center of gravity low, but you do see the aerodynamic appendages—a front splitter, winglets ahead and aft of the wheels, a rather large and curvaceous carbon\-fiber spoiler at the rear together with a diffuser down below\.
The bits are functional—Bentley told us it generates at least 661 lbs \(300 kg\) more downforce than the Continental GT Speed we reviewed last year and that the car’s aero balance has been tuned to shift rearward as speed rises \(and downforce increases\) from a 54:46 starting point\.
Dive planes and winglets\.Bentley
From inside the cockpit, it feels the part, too\. Despite the acres of carbon\-fiber on the dash, the pair of sports seats are comfortable and offer plenty of electric adjustment, and they hold you in place even as you throw the car over a crest or down into the apex of the Corkscrew\. Even taking some curb isn’t a problem\. With a curb weight of “less than 4,407 lbs \(1,999 kg\),” the lightest Bentley in 85 years is still a pretty substantial thing, but it minded not being asked to ride over the red\-and\-white serrations, soaking up plenty of intrusion before it could reach the cabin\.
The article delves into the history of Bentley's supercars from the 1920s, highlighting the original Super Sports model and a specific car named Smoky, while drawing comparisons to modern versions.
Bentley is set to reveal its first battery-electric vehicle, the Torcal, which is in final testing with over 838 horsepower and a 300-mile EPA range, emphasizing luxury and emotional connection.
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Bentley has teased its first electric vehicle, named the Torcal, drawing from a Spanish natural landmark and hinting at high torque from its electrified powertrain.
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