Bentley Supersports FULL SEND: Behind the Scenes Film
Bentley has revealed the production details behind its most dynamic film yet, Supersports: FULL SEND, featuring Travis Pastrana. The company has also released a dedicated behind-the-scenes film that shows how the team shot the project over three days at Bentley. The production included the first full closure of the entire Bentley campus and a crew of more than 100 people.
Bentley conceived Supersports: FULL SEND in April last year, when the new Supersports created the chance to produce a completely new kind of Bentley film. The first steps for the project, known internally as ‘Pymkhana’, began with conversations across key Bentley departments. The name combined “gymkhana” with Pyms Lane, the factory's address. Those early discussions surprised everyone involved because they showed that the concept could work with enough preparation. After Bentley’s Board of Management approved the idea, Bentley’s R&D department started work on a Supersports development vehicle and pushed it to the extreme.
The team adjusted the electronic Limited Slip Differential to lock early and permanently disabled Electronic Stability Control. Engineers also wrote special software changes that enabled both static and rolling burnouts. The team’s biggest achievement came from designing and installing a working hydraulic handbrake. They integrated it with the control system of the eight-speed double-clutch gearbox, allowing the car to enter tight corners of the factory road network sideways rather than relying on power oversteer. Bentley engineering manager Alistair Corner oversaw the vehicle preparation and says:
“The mission for our ‘Pymkhana’ car was to turn the already-capable Supersports up to 11 – to remove all the safety features that the production version must include, and to add functionality to allow the car to dance around the narrow roads of our factory. The team of engineers who developed the car was outstanding, learning on the fly and coming up with creative solutions to turn it into a monster. Crucially, what that special car can now do is an extension of the inherent ability within Supersports – the Pymkhana car is a Supersports without limits, that demonstrates what our chassis and powertrain can do when taken to the extreme.”
Alongside the main hero car, which has now joined Bentley’s Heritage Collection, Bentley prepared a second backup car in case the main vehicle suffered damage during filming. Graphic artist Deathspray wrapped both cars in a bespoke, gymkhana-inspired design and finished them with custom-painted 22-inch wheels. The team also mounted a pair of titanium skid blocks beneath the hero car to create the shower of sparks seen near the end of the film.
Travis Pastrana agreed to join the project as the driver, and Bentley set filming dates for 26 to 28 September 2025. Before filming began, the team planned and choreographed every scene in detail to reduce risk to the car, the driver and the factory. Because Bentley operates a live factory, the production team had to manage a wide range of hazards. The crew took extra care around gas mains, fibre-optic cables, water pipes, and even the factory’s electrical power supply, all of which lay within inches of some of the most dynamic filming locations. Scenes involving other vehicles, such as the car park chase with the Pikes Peak Bentleys and the Brooklands burnout sequence, required extra coordination and featured two precision drivers who worked alongside Travis.
The Bentley film production involved more than 100 people across the main crew and support teams from throughout the business. The core filming crew included about 25 people, among them two main camera operators, two drone operators, two minicam technicians and a three-person team operating a purpose-built tracking car based on a first-generation Bentayga W12 with a U-Crane arm.
Support teams included 10 location marshals who ensured each filming area around the factory remained fully closed, 25 vehicle specialists working in two teams, a factory support team, medics, a fire crew, car wranglers, heritage car drivers and a health and safety unit.
Filming ran almost flawlessly. Mike Sayer, Bentley’s Head of Product Communications and executive producer for the project, says:
“The filming days were incredibly intense, but ultimately the most fun we’ve ever had at the campus. We were fortunate with the weather, and the star car, the supporting cast of vehicles and all the teams involved performed to an exceptional standard. Despite the beyond-the-limit driving involved, and speeds exceeding 120 mph, the only damage sustained to person or machine was one smashed wing mirror! I’m grateful to every single Bentley colleague who worked so hard to deliver this unique project for us.”
After three days of filming, the team spent three months editing the finished film under the direction of Jon Richards. Bentley released the final film in January. It includes 12 Easter eggs that only sharp-eyed viewers will spot. Travis Pastrana’s Bentley employee number on his ID badge is 199, his race number. The 1999 Hunaudières concept car appears in the garage scene. The Speed 8 that won Le Mans in 2003 also appears in the garage. The new Continental GT S features in the film before the embargo. The codename for the Supersports project, ‘Mildred’, appears on the hydraulic handbrake. Bentley’s new BEV appears twice, once in the car park under camouflage and once beneath silk after Travis smashes the door. Bentley’s own 1953 R-Type Continental appears in a glass box where Travis turns left after the fly-by of the pre-war Bentleys. The 2025 EXP 15 design vision car sits on the roof above the long straight. The 199 race number on the Supersports front grille features a black “1” between the two ‘9’ digits, creating 1919, the year Bentley was founded. At the end of the film, Travis stops in front of three cars, an original 1926 Supersports flanked by the two most recent generations. The closing aerial shot shows a line-up of colourful cars whose paint shades echo the painted panels on the side of the Paint Shop. During the credits, the person cleaning up after Travis is Bentley Chairman and CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser.
