Overview
The Flying Spur now has 782bhp. As standard. That got your attention. It's not a sledgehammer sports-saloon like some big Brabus Mercedes, nor a pillowy uber-lux limo like a Rolls-Royce. It can do both those things depending on your mood, or the circumstances, or who's driving – you or your chauffeur. It’s a substantially new car, under a less new skin. Brand-new is the hugely powerful V8 hybrid drivetrain, the electrical architecture – giving new driver-assist and so on – plus the suspension is recalibrated with new dampers. Those things are shared with its sister cars, the Mk4 Continental GT and GTC. But since the Flying Spur was wholly renewed as recently as 2019, Bentley has barely changed the look of it. It does without the new front end of the Continental GT and GTC. Sales figures show that full limousine duties are actually being picked up by an extended-wheelbase version of the Bentayga, the folk at Crewe realising that the high-net-worth individuals of this world might prefer the stocky swagger of an SUV to the grandeur of an elongated saloon.
Interior
The V8 is related to but not the same as the old 4.0. F'rinstance it loses the starter and alternator as the big e-motor does those jobs, and other parts are redesigned to make its output and efficiency better match working in combination with the motor.In the back is 22kWh (net) of battery, good for 47 miles of electric running in ideal – that is, WLTP – conditions. We'll talk about economy over in the Buying tab of this review, because as with any PHEV that's no simple matter. It's an utterly majestic powertrain when it puts its shoulder to the wheel, with a full-on V8 rallying cry at high revs. Going gently, you can choose the distant rolling timpani of the engine, or the silence of electric drive. Because of the limo remit, the accelerator has a gentle response in the top part of its travel, so it's easy to drive with tender smoothness. But flex further and it all awakes, the e-motor doing a lot to hide turbo lag, the transmission gliding down a couple of gears, 2.7 tonnes of Bentley shortly being dispatched unto the horizon.
And it works. Sure, it's hardly the last word in involvement, but the grip, poise and security are unimpeachable. The balance is terrific: stable on turn-in, little understeer, and with a mild dose of rear-drive sensibility on the way out of a bend. You lose none of this in the less powerful iteration. Ah, no. For a start the cabin is just beautiful. A Maybach owner might get an E-Class minicab to the airport and sadly realise those two Mercedes cabins are uncomfortably similar.
Exterior
It’s a deeply clever car this, bridging the gap between the driven and the driver more comprehensively than any other luxury saloon. A Rolls-Royce Ghost is more refined for the driven, but the Bentley runs it close, while bounding ahead for the driver. It uses technology very effectively but doesn’t allow it to dominate. This is a swift, sure-footed and genuinely enjoyable luxury saloon, faster than anything this side of a Panamera Turbo S and way more cosseting.
And the spaciousness, design and tactility of the cabin lifts it well clear of anything a mass-market brand has to offer. For those who don’t require the giant performance of the Speed, the ‘entry-level’ hybrid makes a grand case for itself.
Technical Specifications
The Flying Spur is a very, very convincing car, luxurious, balming and stately enough to usurp the now-deceased Mulsanne. But awesome to drive too. It's more bespoke and special than a Bentayga and more comfortable too, even if it can't trump the Bentayga for off-roading or towing. But who, in a Bentley, does that? This a fabulous advert for the luxury saloon as a breed.
Total MSRP
$100,100
Drive Type
All wheel drive
Transmission
9-speed automatic
Fuel type
Premium unleaded
Engine
3.0 L, Inline 6
Engine Type
Hybrid
Torque
369 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm
Horsepower
362 hp @ 5,500 rpm
Numbers? How about 0-62 in 3.5 seconds, and passing through 100mph just four seconds later. Mad. The less powerful version clips that back but only by four tenths, to take 3.9 seconds, and tops out at 167mph. The chassis features four-wheel steering and an optional 48-volt electric system that manages an active anti-roll bar. The four-wheel-drive system is more rear-biased and the gearbox is an eight-speeder with twin clutches. An e-diff sits between the rear driveshafts for a measure of torque vectoring.
The Good
Which, in the company of the latest Flying Spur, seems a crying shame. While the elevated seats of an SUV give rear passengers a better view, the simple fact is this Flying Spur gives a far softer, less agitated ride. And it looks more elegant.
The Bad
In fact, the back seat was always the place to be in the Flying Spur. Fitted with the W12 engine, it was a bit nose heavy for the driver to be having a truly good time. The alternative V6 hybrid was wheezy and unfitting. This new one evicts both those choices, replacing them with a more powerful V8 hybrid system that evens up the weight balance.
Jeremy Clarkson
ByDrive car expert
