BBC_Top_Gear_South_Africa_June_2017

June I 2017
unique experience. Nothing else has
doors like a Conti, for example, and they
feel every gramme of the 54kg they
individually weigh. But while the 2009
SS cut 140kg and junked the rear seats
for pseudo-Clubsport kudos, it’s easier
and more economic to extract more
power than it is to remove fat, so the
spotlight on the 2017-spec car is trained
on the engine. New main and conrod
bearings reduce internal friction, and a
whole set of software tweaks to fuelling,
ignition and cam timing help in the hunt
for more grunt. Bigger turbos blow at
1.4bar rather than 0.9, and in Sport
mode the SS emits a splenetic crackling
cackle through its redesigned titanium
exhaust (Akrapovič, as on the GT3-R).
This is a deeply impressive piece of
engineering, and despite its name the
Supersports will do max waft in a way
that is all but irresistible. Its ride, even
on 21in diamond-cut wheels, is terrific,
and it’s a peerless companion on the
motorway. But it’s the Bentley’s
mid-range that’s most seductive, as
you’d expect with 1017Nm on tap. It’s
more of a waterfall than a tap, in fact,
The good news is that
once you’re sat on these
seats, you can’t see them
anymore
although I found myself relying on the flappy paddles (mounted a little too
high on the steering column) more often than I’d expected. The Bentley
doesn’t quite vaporise overtaking moves, or hook up corners as though the
straight bits aren’t there, but it still does a mighty effective demolition job.
It also handles. Torque-vectoring helps reduce understeer by applying the
brakes to the inside front and rear wheels, thus promoting better torque
distribution. The Bentley’s agility, adjustability and body control thrillingly
defy the car’s mass. The carbon-ceramic brakes (420mm up front, 356mm at
the rear) are monumental, but then they need to be. Problems? Only
comparative. The 2009 Supersports was a revelation – its front end had more
bite than an FSB attack dog – where this one is merely very good indeed.
Bentley shifted 1,800 of the previous Supersports model, and even at R4
450 000 for the coupe (R4 850 000 for the convertible) it won’t have trouble
finding 710 buyers for this iteration. The usual bewildering variety of
personalisation options are available, including a duo-tone exterior paint
finish and tri-tone interior. The
telematics are, euphemistically,
old-school, although Naim’s
audio system has magnificent
power and clarity. Bentley
knows its customers inside out
and last year delivered 11,023
cars to them – a new record.
Nor is it shy about indulging
lairy colour and spec whims. As
desirable as the new SS is, I
reckon it too could have been a
bit lairier. JASON BARLOW
5998cc W12, AWD, 522kW, 1017Nm
15.7l/100km, 358g/km CO 2
0–100km/h in 3.5secs, 336km/h
2280kg
SPECIFICATION
VERDICT: Thunderous
high performance has
rarely felt this luxurious.
OK, so the price is a bit
steep, but it’s worth it...
JUNE 2017
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