New 203mph 'green' Bentley

Feast your eyes on the fastest and most powerful Bentley to date, the new Continental Supersports, due to star at the 2009 Geneva Show.

The headline figures include a top speed of 204mph and a 0-62mph sprint in just 3.9 seconds. Those numbers are worthy of any supercar and are all thanks to an updated version of the Continental GT Speed's twin-turbocharged W12 engine, which now produces a monumental 621bhp and 590lb.ft of torque.

Despite the dizzying performance on tap, the Supersports represents a green step forward for Bentley, in that it will be the first model from the company to have the capability to run on any mix of petrol and E85 bio-ethanol.

Bentley's engineers have developed the engine to maintain maximum power and torque regardless of the mix of fuel in the tank, but owners can feel a little better about themselves by filling up on E85, as, according to Bentley, it reduces the 'well to wheel' CO₂ emissions by a significant 70%.

Let's not kid ourselves though; the Supersports isn't going to reform the icecaps all on its own, though Bentley has stated its aim to offer flex-fuel capability on all its models by 2012.

The engine isn't the only change to the Continental, as Bentley has revised the whole car in a bid to offer a much more driver-focused coupé, even in comparison to the mighty Speed model.

The automatic transmission has been modified to halve gearchange times and now offers a throttle blipping facility to smoothen downshifts. Meanwhile, the torque split is now biased more towards the rear for sportier dynamics, which was also the target of a significantly stiffened up chassis and the standard carbon ceramic brakes.

Those stoppers also serve to reduce weight, which was a key target of the Supersports project. The Supersports weighs in at a notable 110kg less than the Continental GT Speed.

Some of the mass reduction was thanks to the deletion of the Continental's rear seats. In their place is a storage area featuring carbon fibre, the lightweight material also making up the new sports seats up front.

As yet a price has not been settled on for the Supersports, though it won't be long coming, as first deliveries are due to start later this year.

Shane O' Donoghue