British luxury automaker Bentley has unveiled the Supersports, a lightweight, high-performance, two-seat variant of the Continental GT, marking a strategic push toward younger, more dynamic buyers. Revealed in New York’s Chelsea district, the model drew a notably youthful crowd — a shift from Bentley’s traditional clientele.
The Supersports features a twin-turbo V8, rear-wheel drive, and a stripped-down carbon-fiber design. Unlike most Bentleys in the current lineup, it skips hybridization altogether. While pricing has not been announced, expectations point to an MSRP above $350,000 — roughly the entry point for the top-trim Continental GT.
Bentley will open orders for the Supersports in March 2026, with first deliveries scheduled for 2027.
CEO sees “step change” in brand identity
CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser, formerly of Porsche, championed the model as part of a broader effort to reinforce Bentley’s identity as a driver-focused brand.
“We see ourselves as being a driver’s brand, making extraordinary cars, and there’s a lot of sportiness in the Bentley history,” Walliser told Yahoo Finance.
The Supersports also received positive feedback from Bentley’s long-time customers when previewed earlier at Monterey. Walliser expects all 500 units to sell out once production begins, highlighting the model’s broad appeal.
He added that the customer base is evolving: “Our customer group is now very diverse. In reality, we have a lot of young customers. We have a lot of female customers,” noting that this shift is intentional.
Economic uncertainty still weighs on luxury demand
Despite increasing demographic diversity, the company’s traditional high-net-worth clientele remains cautious amid a murky macroeconomic backdrop.
“It did not really change from this summer,” Walliser said. “It’s still uncertainty in the markets, specifically in the US. But if the US is uncertain, Europe is definitely uncertain. China is still slow.”
Still, Walliser argues that strong products – like the Supersports – are essential to maintaining momentum in an uneven luxury market.
Hybrid strategy supports sales stability
Over the past two years, Bentley has hybridized the full range of Bentayga SUVs, Continental coupes, and Flying Spur sedans. Even performance-focused models, such as the Bentayga Speed, are available with non-hybrid alternatives to accommodate customer preference across markets.
Walliser said the company, part of Volkswagen’s Premium Brand Group, is on pace to match last year’s sales figures, though the fourth quarter remains decisive. “So far, we are around 1% matching last year’s numbers, but the fourth quarter defines everything.”
Personalization offsets lower volumes
Customization continues to be a major revenue driver for the brand. Bespoke features significantly raise transaction prices, helping maintain profitability despite softer unit sales.
Base pricing for Bentley models starts near $210,000 for the Bentayga SUV and can exceed $2.1 million for ultra-limited special editions such as the Batur coupe.
Tariff relief brings long-needed stability
Bentley also stands to benefit from the new US-UK tariff agreement, which lowers import duties to 10% for the first 100,000 UK-built vehicles shipped to the US. Bentley, which had paused exports earlier this year, resumed US shipments in July.
The deal places UK manufacturers in a more favorable position than EU automakers, who face a 15% tariff on US imports — impacting competitors such as Ferrari, Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW.
For Bentley, even a modest tariff reduction offers something the luxury sector has lacked in recent months: a measure of certainty.
