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Bentley’s Back on the Naughty Step: The Supersports Returns After 100 Years

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Exactly a century after the first Bentley “Super Sports” rumbled onto the scene in 1925 — a machine so fast it embarrassed aircraft — the name returns. And it’s not here to play nicely. This is the fourth Supersports in Bentley’s history, and by the sound of it, Crewe’s engineers have slipped something wild into the teacups again.

Meet the new Bentley Continental GT Supersports — the lightest, most driver-focused, and, for the first time ever, rear-wheel-drive Continental GT. That’s right. The stately heavyweight of the grand tourer world has just been handed a cheeky pair of dancing shoes.

The original Supersports was built when Bentley Boys were racing leather-helmeted and slightly unhinged at Brooklands — a time when the word “aerodynamics” meant how fast your moustache flapped. Since then, the Supersports badge has popped up only three times: each one louder, faster, and more absurd than the last. The 2009 version had a twin-turbo W12 and torque enough to alter geography. The 2017 iteration flirted with 700bhp and could tow the moon out of orbit.

So what now?

Bentley’s keeping the juiciest bits locked up until the official unveiling in New York — 20:30 local time on Thursday, 13 November (that’s 01:30 GMT for us nocturnal petrolheads). But we do know this: it’ll be limited-run, rear-driven, and lighter than anything Crewe’s built with a number plate. Expect a stripped-down, sharpened-up Continental that trades its gentleman’s cufflinks for racing gloves.

If history’s any guide, the Supersports won’t just be a faster Bentley. It’ll be the maddest one — the car that proves even after 100 years, Bentley still knows how to misbehave when the mood takes it.

So set your alarms. Because when the covers come off in New York, we might just see the poshest burnout ever attempted.

Source: Bentley

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Bentley’s Beyond100+ Just Got an Extra Tank of Petrol

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There’s a new breeze blowing through Crewe — part electric, part petrol, and entirely Bentley. In a livestreamed announcement from the heart of its historic factory, Bentley Motors pulled the silk cover off the next phase of its Beyond100+ strategy. And while the headlines promised a journey into an all-electric future, the real story is a touch more nuanced — and, frankly, more interesting.

Because Bentley, the brand once synonymous with twelve-cylinder thunder and thick-cut Wilton carpet, isn’t quite ready to pull the plug on internal combustion just yet.

Bending the Timeline

Chairman and CEO Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser took to the stage — with the quiet confidence of a man about to make purists sigh with relief — to confirm that Bentley’s hybridised and combustion models will live on until at least 2035. Yes, you read that right. The V8s and W12s (or whatever form they take next) have been granted a reprieve.

The decision, Walliser said, reflects “the realities of a changing world and a dynamic marketplace.” Translation: customers still love engines that breathe air and burn dinosaurs. And Bentley, ever the polite host, intends to keep serving them.

The Urbanite Bentley

But the real showstopper was what comes next: an all-new, fully electric Luxury Urban SUV, arriving in late 2026, with deliveries rolling out in 2027. Less than five metres long — practically pocket-sized by Bentley standards — it promises to fuse Bentley heft with city sensibility. The marque calls it the world’s first “true Luxury Urban SUV,” which is marketing speak for “your chauffeur can now parallel-park it.”

Underneath the polished prose, there’s genuine substance. Bentley says it’ll charge from 0 to 100 miles of range in under seven minutes — quick enough to grab a flat white while your car gulps electrons. And naturally, it’s being designed, developed, and built right there in Crewe — still the spiritual home of British luxury motoring.

Engines, Hybrids, and a Hint of Mischief

While the electric SUV steals the headlines, there’s no shortage of action elsewhere in Bentley’s line-up. The Continental GT, GTC, and Flying Spur will continue to offer hybrid power in both “High” and “Ultra-Performance” flavours, while the Bentayga Speed — reintroduced earlier this year — keeps the twin-turbo V8 flame alive.

And, intriguingly, Walliser teased a new non-hybrid, limited-production performance model due before the year’s end. A final hurrah for petrol, perhaps? A track-focused send-off dripping with carbon and nostalgia? Whatever it is, expect it to be gloriously excessive.

Bentley also “didn’t rule out” further combustion cars. So yes, while the Beyond100+ plan still points towards electrification, it’s clear Bentley’s taking the scenic route — with a stop or two for a proper refuel along the way.

Crewe’s Electric Renaissance

Beyond the cars themselves, Bentley’s transformation of its Crewe headquarters continues at full tilt. The company’s calling it the Dream Factory, a phrase that feels equal parts Willy Wonka and Wolfsburg. It’s a site already certified carbon neutral and steadily evolving into one of the most advanced automotive facilities in the world.

A new Design Centre and Integrated Logistics Centre opened earlier this year, while a state-of-the-art Paint Shop will join the campus in 2026. The result? A futuristic production hub still wrapped in the red-brick romance of Bentley’s 87-year legacy.

So, what’s Bentley up to, really? It’s hedging — smartly. While rivals sprint headlong into battery-only futures, Crewe’s approach is one of elegant pragmatism. Keep the loyalists happy with engines that sing, bring in new buyers with tech that hums, and let the market decide the pace of change.

In other words, Bentley isn’t abandoning tradition — it’s rebooting it. The next few years will tell whether that strategy is brave, brilliant, or both. But if there’s one constant in the Bentley story, it’s this: whether powered by petrol or pixels, the badge still stands for effortless power, exquisite craftsmanship, and a quiet refusal to follow the herd.

Source: Bentley

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Bentley Invests in the Future: Next Generation of Talent Joins Crewe as Beyond100+ Strategy Accelerates

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Bentley Motors has officially welcomed its 2025 cohort of early careers talent — a fresh class of Apprentices, Industrial Placements, and Graduates — while simultaneously opening 65 new vacancies for the 2026 intake. It’s a move that reaffirms the British marque’s long-term commitment to developing the next generation of automotive innovators, even as it drives toward an all-electric future.

This latest intake arrives at a pivotal moment for Bentley. The Crewe-based luxury manufacturer is deep into its Beyond100+ strategy, a sweeping transformation plan that aims to deliver a fully electrified model range and complete the construction of its state-of-the-art Dream Factory headquarters. Together, these initiatives represent not just a technological leap, but a cultural one — reshaping what the Bentley badge will mean in the decades to come.

“Our early careers programme is key to moulding the future of our company,” said Dr. Karen Lange, Member of the Board for People and Culture at Bentley Motors. “It is vital that we recruit the developing skills that will push the business forward in such a transformative industry. These opportunities reflect our continued commitment to emerging talent — people who can drive innovation and redefine luxury for a new era.”

A Pipeline for Progress

Of the 65 new positions, 41 will be one-year Industrial Placements, while 24 three- and four-year Apprenticeships are set to open in February 2026. Reflecting Bentley’s evolving technological focus, more than half of the apprenticeship roles will center on digital software development, AI, and data-driven engineering — disciplines critical to the company’s electric transformation.

In another nod to Bentley’s long-term investment in people, ten Industrial Placements from the 2024/2025 class will return next year as full-fledged Graduates — an encouraging sign of internal progression within the brand’s talent pipeline.

The breadth of roles on offer spans the entire business: from design and development to manufacturing, marketing, and strategy. For a company renowned for its handcrafted interiors and old-world craftsmanship, Bentley’s growing emphasis on software, electrification, and digital intelligence marks a clear evolution toward the luxury landscape of tomorrow.

Learning by Doing — The Bentley Way

For those entering the program, the experience offers more than technical training — it’s an immersion into Bentley’s evolving culture. Will Meredith, crowned Industrial Placement of the Year 2024 for his work in Corporate Strategy and Transformation, reflected on how the placement reshaped his career trajectory.

“The placement pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way,” Meredith said. “I gained practical experience in strategic analysis, stakeholder engagement, and presenting to senior audiences — all skills that go far beyond what you learn at university. I contributed to projects I never thought I’d be part of, something that wouldn’t have been possible without my amazing team.”

Looking Ahead: Electrified Luxury, Powered by People

As Bentley prepares to launch its first-ever battery electric vehicle, the next wave of talent will play a key role in bringing the brand’s vision to life. The automaker’s fusion of heritage craftsmanship and cutting-edge innovation hinges on the people behind it — a generation that must balance respect for Bentley’s past with the skills to engineer its electric future.

In an industry defined by disruption, Bentley’s latest early careers program serves as both a recruitment drive and a statement of intent: the future of luxury isn’t just built by machines — it’s built by people bold enough to reinvent it.

Source: Bentley