'Mildred’ is here: the Bentley Continental GT Supersports

If you want to lease something unique and just a bit special, you’d better get a move on because Mildred has arrived and time is short.

Project Mildred was born in September 2024 and has been shrouded in secrecy ever since. Within six weeks of the nod of approval there was a test car on track proving the concept was viable. A little more than 12 months later, Mildred has been fully revealed as the brand-new Bentley Continental GT Supersports.

What began with a small engineering team wondering how a rear-wheel drive, sub-two-tonne Continental GT might behave dynamically, has led to the Bentley Supersports being described as the most driver-focused Continental GT ever. One hundred years after the birth of the first Bentley ‘Super Sports’, the nameplate returns to Bentley for only the fourth Supersports model in history.

Lightweighting at core of new Supersports

It may be based on the Continental GT, but the new Supersports is nearly half a tonne lighter than the standard car, much of that weight-saving coming from the powertrain changes and a prolific use of carbon fibre.

The hybrid system has gone, the all-wheel drive system has gone, the rear cabin is gone, the aluminium roof is now a carbon fibre panel, even things like sound insulation and ‘unnecessary in a driver-focused GT’ assistance systems have been removed in the pursuit of lightness.

Sports-focused appearance

New exterior details have then been added to make this the most aggressive Bentley Grand Tourer ever. A new lower front bumper, with an integrated front splitter (the largest aerodynamic splitter ever fitted to a road-going Bentley) includes two new channels that feed cool air to the front brakes and engine respectively. A new lightweight mesh grille, with a design unique to Supersports, is laser cut in extremely fine aluminium. Two pairs of stacked dive planes sit at the corners of the front bumper, working in conjunction with the splitter to reduce front lift.

A new rear diffuser, built into an all-new rear bumper construction, includes vents for the rear wheel arches. And to complete the look, a one-piece, fixed rear spoiler is fitted to the top of the boot lid.

Not only do these changes add to the aggressive look of the Supersports, but together, the additions generate an extra 300kg more downforce than a Continental GT Speed.

Inside what is now a two-seat cabin, highly bolstered sports seats have been positioned lower in the car, the space where the rear cabin used to be is now covered with a carbon fibre and leather shell, and there is extensive use of leather, Dinamica, and carbon fibre to create a performance-focused space. You can’t sacrifice every comfort though, so the seats still feature 11-way electric adjustment and heating.

Powerful twin-turbo V8 at the heart of new Bentley Supersports

As we said earlier, the powertrain of the new Supersports is non-hybrid and rear-wheel drive to reduce weight, with a new, strengthened 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 at the heart of the car.

Featuring a stronger crankcase, uprated cylinder heads, and larger turbos, the Bentley Supersports sends 657bhp to 22-inch forged aluminium alloy rear wheels via an uprated eight-speed double clutch transmission and eLSD. The engine breathes through a full-length titanium sports exhaust and should be good for a 3.7 second sprint to 62mph and a top speed of around 192mph.

The suspension and driving modes have been specifically tuned to work in perfect conjunction with the new RWD setup, with new wishbones, rear axle, springs, and dampers keeping the power on the tarmac. And when it comes to stopping again, you can rely on the largest automotive braking system in the world - 440 mm Carbon-Silicon-Carbide (CSiC) discs on the front axle, clamped by 10-piston calipers, and 410 mm discs with four-piston calipers at the rear – fitted as standard.

But if you want one, you’ll have to be quick.

Bentley will be premiering the new Continental GT Supersports at a special event in January. Order books will be opening in March with deliveries due to commence in early 2027. The only catch is that Bentley will be handcrafting just 500 examples, so if you’re not ready to go, you risk missing out.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Project Mildred is a reference to Mildred Mary Petre, a racing driver, powerboat racer, and pilot who, in 1929, drove a Bentley 4½ Litre around the Montlhery circuit in France, solo, for 24 hours, averaging almost 90 mph and establishing a new endurance record at the time. Quite a feat for today, let alone almost a century ago.