An up-close look at Bentley’s 209-mph Continental Supersports

If you have three friends and you all need to get somewhere really quickly, perhaps the Bentley Continental Supersports is the car for you. It’s the fastest accelerating Bentley ever, and the fastest four-seat car ever built. 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 209 mph is enough to snap anyone’s head back, all thanks to a massive six-liter twin-turbo W12 engine that puts out 700 horsepower and 750 lb-ft of torque. There’s a convertible version, too, though removing the roof slows things down slightly — it can do 0–60 in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 205 mph.

The Verge got a look at the car in an alley behind a Detroit art galley, a literal breath of fresh (frigid) air from the sterile environs of the show floor. It’s outrageous but dignified, full of angles and muscle and splitters. It’s ready to pounce but still oozing with Bentley-ness. It’s everything that a Grand Tourer should be: a long-distance cruiser with the oomph to outrun anyone you’re likely to run into, while still keeping you more comfortable than should be possible at triple-digit speeds.

Bentley says deliveries of the Continental Supersports will begin this fall, with the US limited to just 250 units. Pricing was not disclosed, but the standard Continental starts around $200,000.