1/3/11

2010 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible

Cars Mania Blog
Auto Car | 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible | Bentley today opened up its new Continental Supersports Convertible – the soft-top version of the E85-swilling Supersports coupé. It's the fastest rag-top ever to roll out of Crewe's gates, hitting 60mph in 3.9sec and 202mph flat out.

The four-seater Conti Supersports Convertible follows closely the format of the 2009 coupé and arrives as Bentley has extended the Supersports' E85 diet across the entire 2011 model year Continental range. It's all part of Bentley's pledge to have every model biofuel-compatible by 2012, a key plank in its bid to make Bentleys acceptable in a carbon-crunched world.

Bentley's Continental Supersports Convertible, the world's fastest production drophead, made its official public driving debut at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed. With several searing runs up the famous hill, it forcibly underlined its supercar performance credentials.

Throughout the weekend the Supersports Convertible, which is capable of a potential top speed of 202mph and a 0-60mph sprint time of 3.9 seconds, was piloted by the racing legend and honorary ‘Bentley Boy' Derek Bell who used his expert knowledge of the climb to set a series of typically rapid ascents and give the Goodwood spectators plenty to talk about.

The Supersports Convertible was joined in the supercar paddock by its equally powerful and capable coupe stablemate - the 621bhp Bentley Continental Supersports which returned to Goodwood after making its own debut in 2009.

Although some argue that biofuels offer questionable green credentials, Bentley points out that the well-to-wheel CO2 reduction stands at around 70%. Which helps assuage the guilt of its 17mpg combined economy figure and 388g/km of CO2.

It's blindingly fast, thanks to a stout 590lb ft of twist; I passengered race car veteran Derek Bell up the Goodwood hill climb in the Supersports coupé last summer and can vouch for the thrust on offer – it's quite astonishing for such a big car. The 90kg weight saving over the existing GTC Speed model helps, of course.

As with the coupé, the rag-top Supersports has tweaks across almost every aspect of its driveline and chassis. The six-speed ZF auto is programmed to mesh the next cog 50% faster for more brutal gearchanges and the the torque split is now rear-biased 60:40 to stymie understeer during hard cornering.

Don't worry if you want to mooch in your new top-dog Bentley cab; Crewe assures us the Supersports wafts as well as it weaves through the corners, with adjustable dampers to pamper or flatten.


Source : www.carmagazine.co.uk

Share and leave comment

No comments:

Post a Comment