For a company with essentially two model lines, Bentley sure keeps itself busy. It's always got a new version of the Continental GT coupe or convertible coming out, and it's hard at work lobbying and preparing for the Falcon SUV's production. But at the Geneva Motor Show next month it will pull the wraps off the new Flying Spur. Following yesterday's leak, Bentley has taken the wraps off its new uber-luxury sedan that, as expected, drops the Continental from its name, but adopts many of its updates.
As you can see, the new Flying Spur looks considerably more elegant than the Continental Flying Spur it replaces, bridging the stylistic gap between the Conti GT and the Mulsanne. It's also over a hundred pounds lighter than the outgoing model thanks to use of lighter materials, although at 5451 lbs that's barely a drop in the bucket. Not that you'd know the Flying Spur is that heavy once you push the throttle, though. Rather than fit the base 6.0-liter W12 with its 567 horsepower (which is still stronger than the outgoing Spur's 552), Bentley has fitted the new sedan with the 616hp version from the Speed model.
Whether that means Bentley will discontinue the 567hp spec, and whether the 500hp V8 will be offered in the sedan, remains to be seen. One way or another, the power and its accompanying 580 lb-ft of torque are sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic, propelling the Spur to 60 in 4.3 seconds and on to 200 mph, making it one of the few production sedans that can crack the double-century mark. Performance wasn't Bentley's main focus, though. The 19" wheels have higher-profile tires (as opposed to performance-oriented lower-profile rubber) for a more comfortable ride.
The suspension is also 25% softer with adaptive dampers to stiffen it up again under hard cornering. The redesigned body is also more resistant to noise and vibration. The cabin which the softer suspension cocoons is almost entirely different from the outgoing model, with only minor parts carrying over. Technological highlights include an eight-inch touchscreen in the front, a pair of 10-inch screens in the back, on-board Wi-Fi, a 64-gig media hard drive, a touchscreen remote to operate the climate control and entertainment system from the rear seats and more.
Buyers can opt for four- or five-seat configurations, and from 17 standard or 100 optional colors, including the Dark Cashmere pictured here. The Mulliner catalog offers even more, ensuring that while the new Flying Spur is bound to be a popular choice among the rich, no two need ever be alike.
