When the name Bentley is mentioned, it traditionally evokes images of luxury, elegance, and class. These are the foundations by which the British car brand built its name and for as long as it’s around, these words will continue to be mentioned in the same breath as the company. On the other hand, a word like “extreme” is rarely mentioned alongside Bentley, which is why this new teaser that the automaker released is pretty darn significant, and all it took is this one very telling description.

“The most extreme Bentley ever…is coming.”

Now before anybody starts hyperventilating, it’s important to ask which model Bentley is actually referring to. We know that the all-new Continental GT is expected to make its debut in the second half of 2017. It’s unlikely that this is going to be that model because the unveiling has been set for January 6, 2017. That’s two days from now.

So it’s unlikely to be the all-new Continental GT. That brings us to the current Continental GT, which will make way for its successor soon. Could it be that Bentley is preparing to give the current Continental GT model a proper send-off in the form of an extreme version of itself?

Looking at the automaker’s history, there is one model that’s been noticeably absent from the Continental lineup and if past versions of that variant are indications of what we can expect, there is a possibility that we could be looking at the return of the Supersports here.

Obviously, there’s been no confirmation from Bentley’s part about that speculation, but it does make sense considering that the last Supersports variants – the coupe and convertible – hit the market in 2009 and 2010, or right around the tail end of the first-generation Continental GT’s life with the second-generation Continental arriving in 2011. Follow that schedule and we’re due for the return of the Supersports variant.

Now about the teaser video itself. There’s not much going on there other than a few close-ups of the car in question, although if you look closely, there is one shot that shows what appears to be a fixed rear wing, a feature we haven’t seen from a production Bentley since the Continental GT3-R.

Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too long to get some answers because the car’s debut is happening in two days. Buckle up.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

This came from out of nowhere

I’m not going to lie; I didn’t see this one coming, even though I probably should have considering that the current-generation Continental GT is on its last legs. But this is one of those times where I like the fact that I was caught off-guard because there’s authentic excitement to see what Bentley has in store for all of us.

I know I mentioned the Continental Supersports as a possible model and the timetable fits in that regard for the variant to make a return. It’s been seven years since we last saw a new Supersports model and the time’s right for it to be brought back.

All that being said, I’m also not discounting the possibility that this could be a different version of the Continental altogether. The fixed rear wing is a call to the Continental GT3-R that was sold back in 2014 so it’s possible that Bentley could be bringing that model back before the second-guess Continental rides off into the sunset.

Who knows, it might even be a different model altogether, although I don’t think that’s the case. If I were to wager on it, my money’s on the Continental Supersports. I may be wrong about it, but like I said, we won’t have to wait too long find out.

Old Bentley Continental Supersports - drivetrain specifications

Engine

6.0-liter W12

Power

621 HP @ 6,000 RPM

Torque

590 LB-FT @ 1,700-5,600 RPM

Transmission

Six-speed ZF 6HP26 automatic

0 to 60 mph

3.7 seconds

Top Speed

204 mph


Read our full review on the Bentley Continental Supersports here.