When Bentley’s Brazilian-born Head of Exterior Design, Raul Pires, arrived at the company’s Crewe-based factory in 1999 via a six-year stint with Skoda in Prague, he came laden with inspiration that owed more to Picasso than (Nelson) Picquet. During his time in Bohemia the art-loving Pires had become an unabashed fan of Czech Cubism. Walking around the streets of Prague, Pires was constantly enamored by the city’s early Twentieth Century-era, Cubism-inspired buildings, in particular, the manner in which straight, rectilinear lines could morph into sexy, voluptuous curves. Tasked to work on the design of the futuristic Continental GT under the guidance of Dirk van Braeckel, Bentley’s Head of Design, Pires gave Bentley a ‘full Brazilian’, overhauling the Marque’s staid exterior and co-piloting the design of the now-iconic Continental GT coupe in 2003. Fast-forward to 2010 and Bentley’s latest reincarnation of the Continental GT, the libidinous Continental Supersports, is now available for Singaporean delivery, along with the stately new Mulsanne. A brute in terms of muscle and performance, the Continental Supersport hits a top speed of nearly 330km/hr, of which the local Singaporean constabulary guarantee you will never experience (on these shores, at least). And it can also lay claim to being the ‘Biggest Loser’, having shed over 100 kilograms in comparison to the GT, thanks to the proliferation of carbon ceramics and fibre (“Art is the elimination of the unnecessary”, as Picasso said). Oh, and before you ask – yes, its green credentials are spot on, being the first Bentley to embrace FlexFuel technology. Bravo Bentley. Now, how about that test drive?