Driven: Bentley Continental Supersports Page 2

By Michael Frank

Michael Frank

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Michael Frank got his driver's license on the morning of his 16th birthday and a year later, bought his first car, a 1974 Ford Capri with a "sleeper"... More

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1,660 views Feb 17, 2010

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You also aren’t reminded of, oh, a Lamborghini. Maybe that’s because Bentley is British in origin and in that Anglo way, the brand has always been more focused on pure freight-train force rather than the sideshow opera you get from a V-12 born in Sant’Agata, Bolognese.

One trait that is similar is how all-wheel-drive is employed to put that mind blowing torque to the pavement—here the split is 60 rear/40 front, and as with Audi and Lamborghini, it greatly improves take-off and if you’re courageous, using the throttle to straighten the car out of corners. So much rubber can overcome even the inertia of a 4,940 lb. curb weight, as can stability control. Speaking of which, the car comes with three modes for the system, so you can decide how much hero help you want (in the middle setting there’s room to play but also margin for error) and four ride settings: Comfort, Normal, Sport 1 and Sport 2. If you own a test track you may need the sternest of these but otherwise the Supersports feels buttoned down at all times, and on beaten down Northeastern roads where we were testing can seem overstiff if you select Sport 1 or 2. A highlight of the Bentley is steering feel which, even in moments of drama is nicely weighted, super precise, and also serene, a balance that you won’t find often even in this thin-air segment of the market.

Another thing you won’t find many of is $275,000 cars with seats that can’t be ratcheted upward—only rake and tilt are options with the Supersports. While Bentley dumped their normally gajillion-direction adjustable armchairs in favor of these much lighter carbon-and-faux-cowhide buckets, we cannot imagine that every Supersports buyer is at least 5’10”, which is what you’d have to be to find yourself fitting perfectly behind the wheel. Yeah, I’m somewhat shorter than that at 5’8”, but that doesn’t make me a midget.

Or perhaps this is one sacrifice you make if you want a car this exceptionally fast and otherwise exceptionally comfortable.

Still, from an American perspective it would seem Bentley isn’t in a good position to alienate a single would-be customer: sales fell a whopping 50% in the U.S. in 2009. With the well-heeled trying very hard to be inconspicuous, one wonders whether a louder, wider, lower Bentley is the right car for the super rich of the West.

Then again I bet it doesn’t matter what we think—there are probably enough newly rich Chinese, Russian oligarchs and Emirates-dwelling customers to buy every last Supersports Bentley can sell. And if you have $275k, I’m willing to bet they can find a way to make you more comfortable behind the wheel.