Bentley just unleashed the fastest and most powerful car it's ever built

In the world of super GT cars, the Bentley Continental is the elder statesman. It may be hard to believe, but the Bentley Continental has been around for nearly 15 years.

Even though the Bentley grand tourer received a refresh in 2012, it's essentially the same package that debuted in 2003.

But, as always, the devil is in the details.

That's because over the past decade and a half, Bentley's engineers have been hard at work turning the cushy cruiser into a bruising speed demon.

The culmination of this work comes in the form of the newly unveiled Bentley Continental Supersports.

And what a beast of a car it is.

Under the hood is the trusty VW Group 6.0 liter, twin-turbocharged W12 engine - now producing a whopping 700 horsepower.

The result is a 5,000 lb. GT car capable of hitting 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.4 seconds, Bentley claims. Keep your foot planted on the gas pedal long enough and the Supersports should keep going until it hits a manufacturer claimed top speed of 209 mph.

The is the fastest and most powerful Bentley ever built.

The convertible variant is a few ticks slower at 3.7 seconds and 205 mph. (The Supersports is only available as a coupe or a convertible. If you need more room you'll have to "settle" for a 202 mph, 626 horsepower Bentley Flying Spur W12S.)

While early Continentals had a reputation for being not quite at home in the corners, Bentley engineers have made sure the Supersports has been given all the tools necessary to conquer the twisty bits.

This includes a retuned dynamic suspension system, a set of massive carbon ceramic brakes, and torque vectoring technology built into the Continental's all-wheel-drive system.

As with any Bentley, the Supersports' interior is pure British luxury featuring tri-tone, diamond stitched leather along with Alcantara and carbon fiber accents.

"Only Bentley could create a car which blends immense performance and unrivaled luxury in this way," Bentley Motors chairman and CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer said in a statement.

We're inclined to agree.

Expect the Bentley Continental Supersports to start around $300,000.

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