2011 Bentley Continental Calhoun GA
2011 Bentley Continental
January 22, 2010 By Jon Alain Guzik, Editor in Chief and Brian Alexander, Road Test Editor
2010 Bentley Continental Supersports 
2010 Bentley Continental
Supersports
DriverSide Overview
For most, the name Bentley typically conjures up images of posh, stately sedans, tweed jackets, cherrywood pipes and brandy glasses in front of a smoldering fireplace. The Continental Supersports, however, trades this rather drab decorum for something more aggressive – something along the lines of a pair of boxing gloves, a frighteningly large swig of Bacardi 151 and a surface-to-air rocket launcher. It’s utter chaos. This end-all of Continentals is, in fact, the fastest production vehicle Bentley has ever built, and proof that when it boils down to it, some automotive engineers are basically little more than very smart, very talented 12-year-old boys. How you propel nearly 5,000 lbs to 60 mph in well under four seconds is anyone’s guess, but it turns out a 6.0-liter W-12 with a pair of turbochargers is a good place to start. The Supersports is the Continental with a twist – weight reduction, no back seat, a more aggressive all-wheel drive tuning, a superfast shifting transmission and more carbon fiber than an entire peloton of Tour de France bicycles. A quick spin around the block in this car will have you exiting the driver’s seat feeling as though you’ve just blown up the Death Star and walked away with the girl. If you’ve managed to keep yourself out of jail, that is. It has so much power that half the throttle travel seems more than sufficient. Few cars can put as stupid a smile on your face, and true enough, few are as stupid fast.
What's to Like
Basically, everything. From the massive torque offered by the Supersports’ twin-turbo twelve-cylinder engine to the gorgeous leather-adorned interior complete with the finest, most ornate carbon fiber-shelled sports seats we have ever sat in. It’s a Bentley that can do 204 mph. In short, there is a lot to like here.
What's Not to Like
There are but a few small clouds in an otherwise clear sky, and these are for the most part paltry complaints. The switchgear and controls feel dated, and are certainly not what you would expect of Bentley. Case in point – the radio has a “Loudness” button that boosts the equalizer. Really? The last time we saw those was sometime back in the ‘80s on a Sony Walkman.
The Drive:
DriverSide Driving Impressions
A massive, heavy yacht of a car, the Conti Supersports performs a neat trick when driven hard, shedding its ample weight and shrinking around you. But then again, few vehicles exist that feel somewhat less than spry when all 621 turbocharged horses hit. In the case of the Conti Supersports, acceleration is a warp-speed affair filled with 12-cylinder howl and all sorts of whooshes and gasps from the turbochargers. Sure, t...