A convertible prototype carrying the distinctive styling of the Bentley Continental Supersports has been photographed near the Nürburgring. Images published on 23 October by Auto Express and evo show a fabric-roof car with an aggressive front bumper, additional aerodynamic elements and a rear spoiler closely resembling the coupé's. Bentley has not yet made an official announcement about an open-top Supersports.
That possibility raises an interesting engineering question. The latest Supersports coupé was conceived as a substantial departure from the regular Continental GT: it discards the plug-in hybrid system and all-wheel drive in favour of a V8 driving the rear wheels. British reports put its weight saving at roughly 500kg compared with the Continental GT on which it is based.
A convertible cannot follow the same weight-saving recipe without compromise. Its folding roof mechanism and the structural reinforcement required when removing a fixed roof inevitably add mass. The test car nevertheless appears to retain much of the coupé's visual and aerodynamic package, including the prominent front canards and rear deck spoiler.
For reference, the coupé uses a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 657bhp and 800Nm. Both publications expect the convertible to follow the same mechanical approach, but those figures have not been confirmed for the prototype. Nor has Bentley disclosed its weight, acceleration, price or production plans. The coupé's announced 500-car production run should not be taken as a confirmed allocation for the open model.
The sighting is evidence of a car being tested, not proof that all decisions about its eventual showroom specification have been made. If the project reaches production, Bentley will have to balance the added mass of an open body against the lightweight, rear-drive character that defines the current Supersports.