Something evil this way comes

I have vacillated over this for a while now, and I'm still wondering if there's a strong enough case for the Bentley Continental Supersports. At Dh1,070,000 it costs more than the standard Continental GT — even the Speed version. And for that astronomical price tag, as far as

I can tell, you get less of everything.

Under the vast bonnet is a tweaked version of the 6.0-litre W12 from the GT and yet it delivers a disappointing — relatively speaking, of course — 621bhp, only 21 more than the cheaper Speed version. The stately soft leather seats are replaced by less comfortable carbon-fibre buckets, which are now manually operated. The wood and leather is replaced by dirty grey slabs of carbon-fibre. The suspension is stiffer and there are no back seats, so it's less practical, too.

Why exactly anybody, unless they're full-time members of window-lickers anonymous, would pay premium for that is beyond me.

The upshot is that the Supersports weighs a 110kg less than the GT Speed, has a transmission with revised shift times and a thumping 800Nm of torque at the will of your right foot. This means sheer, unbridled performance. It's not exceptionally cossetting or spacious, so I doubt it will work as a long distance cruiser. In fact, I would only call it a Grand Tourer if somebody put a gun to my head, although I'd still have second thoughts. But there's little chance of that happening because even Bentley concedes it's not a GT anymore. So this car is merely called the Continental Supersports.

If we go purely by the numbers, the Supersports doesn't add up. Despite severe weight shedding, it is hardly bulimic at 2.2 tonnes. But step inside the cabin and it's easy to see why. There aren't any exposed welding joints in sight and the windows are glass, not plastic. This makes it difficult to spot exactly where they cut the excess flab from (apart from the missing back seats, naturally).

Unlike Porsche or Ferrari whose performance-focused versions have a roll-cage and doors that close with a hollow ‘thwank', the Supersports has everything you'd expect in a Bentley. The doors are still impossibly heavy and close with a satisfying ‘thud'. You still get a sat-nav and an awesome 15-speaker Naim audio system. The parcel shelf, which replaces the back seats, has a carbon fibre beam running across to further strengthen the body and prevent your luggage from flying through the windscreen when you work the massive 16.4in brakes.

Funnily enough, it's not without reason that the carbon ceramic discs are bigger than standard fitment wheels on most cars. Press your toe down and the Supersports will demolish the 100kph marker in 3.9 seconds. This makes it faster than the Ferrari F430, which is nearly a tonne lighter. But I'll get to that in a while…

Outside chance

In the flesh, the Supersports isn't bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful. The standard car is a handsome beast, but with its blacked out 20in rims and low-profile tyres, the Supersports looks like a Stateside tuner's SEMA special.

The ‘smoked steel' radiator grille and the vertical air intakes are what Bentley calls ‘Matrix' style and, like the movie, aren't exactly to my taste. Other design trinkets that set it apart from a common man's GT are the ‘Supersports' badges, blacked out headlamp surrounds and rear lower valance, which now houses 40mm wider exhausts.

It isn't an understated car, this. That is the beef I have with the SS. A garish Bentley is morally wrong. I think.

However, if you can look past the aesthetics, there is a capable car waiting to be experienced. Unlike other Bentleys the Supersports isn't just a poser mobile, it's a track-weapon.

It's like a rugby player: big, loud, hugely impressive and agile — all at the same time. And the best thing is, unlike other track orientated cars, the Supersports is fairly straightforward to drive. Automatic transmission into Sport, ESP into off and away you go, leaving behind a trail of rubber and riding a wave of glorious W12 roar.

Flash forward

Flex your right foot and watch in wide-eyed astonishment as the speedo races to 100kph and the landscape rushes past. It's almost as if your life, somehow, just slipped into fast forward. The fury of the Supersports in a straight line, and I'm trying to describe it, is like walking up to a thoroughbred, which then kicks you in the gut without warning. At full rip, the Supersports feels exactly the same, only much more pleasant.

It is however, not as impressive when tackling the twisty stuff. The Supersports is a big, heavy car and on the move it feels exactly like, well, a big heavy car. Despite the uprated suspension and a rear-biased all-wheel drive system — unlike the 50:50 torque spread of the GT — the Supersports doesn't come alive on switchback roads. It is undeniably more eager to follow your directions than the rapper's delight GT, though.

Sitting 10mm lower at the front and 15mm lower at the back, the Supersports has new anti-roll bars and a power steering system tuned for greater feel, but it doesn't revel in sporty driving the way a Quattroporte does, for example.

For the most part, it is sure-footed and predictable, but it does have its limits and will give you fair warning if you start taking too many liberties with it. There's so much torque that even slight misjudgement while exiting a corner will sometimes result in underwear-soiling moments. It doesn't feel dangerous or intimidating and you can, to an extent, even get away with mid-corner acceleration, but you do have to precisely metre out the power.

The chassis is markedly stiffer and this means that even the slightest change in the road surface is transmitted to your spine. It's not bone-jarring harsh, but nowhere near supple for a Bentley. That said, it is still much better than any performance issue Italian exotic.

The revised six-speed ZF transmission swaps cogs twice as fast. Dawdling around town, there are no embarrassing lurches and enthusiastic driving is rewarded with swift and precise gear changes. However, in the world of DCTs and PDKs, this transmission is beginning to show its age.

After driving it for almost a week, I am convinced the Supersports captures the true essence of a performance Bentley. It does almost everything remarkably well — the superb build quality, pace and a top speed of 329kph, which trumps the Gallardo LP560-4 as well as the pokey Ferrari Italia. Despite that, it is not a rip snorting beast that you'll approach with trepidation. It is accessible and easy to drive even when you're caning it within an inch of its life.

Compared to Italian and German track specials (let's consider the SS British for the sake of this review), which take away every creature comfort and drill your eardrums with unrestrained engine wail, the Supersports is a car you can, if you so wish, live with everyday. Comfortably. It is spot-on for a track-biased Bentley.

It's pared down, but never to annoying levels of discomfort.

Verdict

Watching it bumble away noisily, I get a feeling the Supersports could well be just another example of unnecessary over-engineering. Or worse, a cynical marketing exercise.

But actually what it is, is a labour of love for a band of engineers who put their heart and soul into making the ultimate Bentley.

It's a fitting nod to the glorious racing days of the Bentley brand, and it is an utterly joyous example of how you can get the best of both worlds — nearly.

Specs and rating

• Model: Continental Supersports
• Engine: 6.0-litre W12 Transmission Six-speed auto
• Max power: 621bhp @ 6,000rpm
• Max torque: 800Nm @ 4,500rpm
• Top speed: 329kph
• 0-100kph: 3.9sec
• Price: Dh1,070,000
• Plus: Jaw-dropping pace, build quality
• Minus: Styling