Essentially, the new Bentley Flying Spur qualifies as a supercar. Apart from being a pinnacle of automotive beauty, it is also hand-crafted and offers a performance active chassis, a dynamic ride and all-wheel steering. In addition, now that British brand Bentley have moved with the times, it is also a hybrid delivering a purely electric range of up to 47 miles (76 km) and CO² emissions of 33 g/km at the lowest. Despite the size and despite all the luxury features, this car will sprint to 62 miles per hour (100 kph) in a breathtaking 3.3 seconds. Needless to say the options are endless to suit individual tastes. You see, you really can have it all.
The Prestige Exterior
While the exterior design largely retains the familiar, muscular yet elegant design of the third-generation Flying Spur (launched in 2019), it’s beneath the skin of the car where the real changes take place. The all-new power-train is paired with an also-new electrical architecture that brings the most modern suite of automotive technology fitted to any true luxury saloon (sedan).
The performance-oriented character of the new Flying Spur Speed is underscored by new design enhancements. Bright-ware is finished with a dark tint which gives the exterior a sporty, technical feel, while the new ‘speed-specific’ grille, front bumper (fender) and rear diffuser create a fresh, purposeful look. The optional ‘Styling Specification’ aero package can now be finished in body colour, though owners can alternatively opt for a carbon fibre finish, which, we imagine, would look fabulous on this car.
New ‘LED Welcome’ Lamps housed in the doors project an animated version of the Bentley Wings logo onto the ground whenever the front doors are opened. This new deployment of Bentley’s ‘light sculpture’ technology follows on from its first application in the coach-built Batur coupé featured elsewhere on these pages. Of course, you can’t have a special car without special wheels: A new 22 inch ‘Ten Swept Spoke’ alloy wheel is available in two finishes along with two other 22 inch designs available in an array of paint finishes.
The Premium Interior
Inside the luxurious and spacious cabin, occupants enjoy the latest expression of Bentley’s renowned design and hand-built craftsmanship, with all-new seat designs (with individual climate control and posture adjustment of course) that feature 3D diamond quilting and a revised perforation pattern in the seat’s centre section.
Tactile ‘3D diamond’ hide clothes the door inners and B Pillars. Complementing the exterior bright-ware, the new (and optional) ‘Dark Chrome Specification’ trim provides a contemporary aesthetic and gives an understated character to the cabin. This applies to door handles, switches, speaker grilles and many other areas around the cabin. New driver instrumentation graphics complete the package of design enhancements, while the rightly acclaimed Bentley Rotating Display with its choice of 12.3 high-definition display, three analogue dials, or an unbroken side of handcrafted veneer continues to be offered as an option.
A selection of no less than three audio systems is offered in the new Bentley Flying Spur. The standard system features 10 speakers and 650 Watts, while a Bang & Olufsen 1,500 W, 16-speaker system with illuminated speaker grilles is aimed at lifestyle-oriented customers. Need more aural power? Then go for the Naim 2,200 W, 19-speaker system with Active Bass Transducers built into the front seats and eight sound modes; this will be appreciated by true audiophiles. To further enhance your choice of music, laminated acoustic glass is retained for the windscreen and side windows, resulting in a nine-decibel reduction in exterior noise versus regular non-acoustic glazing.
The fourth-generation Flying Spur Speed benefits from the latest iteration of electrical architecture, enabling a significant step forward in infotainment and driver assistance technology. The result is a seamless experience in terms of passenger wellness, driver assistance, infotainment systems and connected car services. Improvements have been made to infotainment choices with essential features such as wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto and over-the-air map updates. Beyond these features, customers who choose to pair their mobile phone will also enjoy connected car services.
The Luxury Drive
It goes without saying that, despite all the available power and performance, this car will ride like a magic carpet thanks to new and advanced twin-valve dampers enabling rebound and compression damping to be separately controlled, creating a clear delineation of dynamic capabilities between the available Comfort, Bentley and Sport modes. The body-control of the previous generation’s Sport mode is maintained, while the ride comfort in Comfort mode is significantly improved. Needless to say, the attributes for safety are all on-board.
The Bentley Performance Active Chassis comes as standard. Features of the sophisticated new set-up include ‘Bentley Dynamic Ride’ and ‘All-Wheel Steering’, along with an electronically-controlled limited slip differential, while a new generation of ESC control software permits a range of driving styles to be accessed and provides reliable traction in all conditions. The system uses active torque vectoring front to rear through a centre differential, and precision vectoring across each axle using the brakes.
The Bentley Flying Spur Speed’s ‘Ultra Performance Hybrid’ all-wheel-drive power-train combines an advanced 592 bhp (600PS) 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 augmented with a 187 bhp equivalent (190 PS / 139 kW) electric motor that is neatly integrated within the eight-speed dual clutch transmission. With the e-motor negating turbo lag, twin single-scroll turbochargers have been used which help reduce complexity and allows them to run hotter, thus minimising emissions. Therefore, no cylinder deactivation hardware is required, as the engine can be switched off entirely when using the electric motor.
In Sport mode this power-train deploys a full 771 bhp (782 PS) and 1,000 Nm, with the instant torque of the E-motor complementing the charismatic cross-plane beat of the V8. Compared with the previous Speed model, this new and prestigious saloon delivers higher torque from lower engine speeds, higher peak torque and higher power output throughout the rev range.
Together, the V8 and e-motor provide the new Flying Spur with a total range of 515 miles (829 km). Full electric mode can be deployed at speeds of up to 87 mph (140 km/h), with throttle applications of up to seventy-five per cent. The battery can be fully replenished in as little as 2¾ hours thanks to significant improvements in charger and battery capacity, with 11 kW peak charging power. The power-train system manages the energy flows dependent upon the mode chosen with pure EV, electric boost, regenerative braking and most importantly for this new Flying Spur, a charge mode, where the engine drives the wheels and charges the battery at the same time.
MHH International & Bentley Motors
MHH International export vehicles from the UK to clients across the globe, including in New Zealand, Ireland and Kenya, for example. Naturally, the new Flying Spur has only just been launched but MHH International currently offer a selection of fine Bentley cars; vehicles that have few peers. Please browse this website for all the details and also find out about VAT-free exports.
