Bentley Continental Flying Spur Range : COME FLY WITH ME

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Bentley's luxurious Continental Flying Spur has set high standards for itself but the latest model lives up to expectations. Steve Walker reports

Bentley's Continental Flying Spur blends old-school craftsmanship with the latest technology. Beneath the chrome trim, the leather and the wood veneers, the 6.0-litre V12 and the adaptive air-suspension are at work producing their breathtaking results. It's hard not to be impressed.

If you're one of the fortunate individuals for whom first class is the norm and paying for the very best has become second nature, you'll have a detailed grounding in life's finer things and won't be routinely impressed by mere excellence. But impress you is exactly what the Bentley Continental Flying Spur must do because well-to-do individuals like yourself are this £120,000 luxury saloon's target customers. It's a good thing that Bentley has brought its vast experience in the field of building breathtaking motorcars to bear on this model. To make doubly sure the Continental Flying Spur hits the right note with the select group who have the cash to buy one, the latest version has been enhanced in a number of key areas. The grille is more upright, the front air-intake is wider and the rear bumper has been rendered more streamlined but there's nothing to overtly alter the Flying Spur's classy visage. There's more technology lavished on the car too, along with additional options which allow customers to personalise the materials used in the interior. Under the surface, revised dampers improve refinement and now those who find the standard model less than thrilling to drive can order a Flying Spur Speed for which thrilling isn't the word. The Continental Flying Spur is the four-door version of the Continental GT coupe and has inherited that car's 6.0-litre V12 along with a good proportion of its searing pace. The engine is a 12-cylinder 6.0-litre unit with 552bhp. That's enough to get this 2,475kg saloon car up to 60mph in 4.9s and the top speed, if you've got enough runway at your disposal, is 195mph. That's quick but Bentley customers have high standards and some feel the need to go quicker. For them, there's the Flying Spur Speed. It uses the same engine but has a nice round 600bhp coupled with 750Nm of torque at 1,750rpm, 100Nm more than the standard car. It means performance is improved to a 4.5s 0-60mph sprint and a 200mph top speed. 0-100mph takes a supercar-humbling 10.5s.

"A fine blend of the old and the newâ€¦."

The Flying Spur isn't about raw speed, despite having an absolute bundle of the stuff in reserve. It's the effortless manner in which that performance is delivered which really underlines the product's appeal. The cabin is whisper quiet at cruising speeds thanks to the creamy engine and the extensive noise insulation measures that Bentley has undertaken. The suspension is comprised predominantly of aluminium components and incorporates revised springs and dampers to soak up surface imperfections to an even silkier standard. The Speed model offers a sharper driving dynamics thanks to a series of modifications. It features thicker anti-roll bars and the self-levelling air-suspension is 10mm lower than on the standard car. The advanced ESP stability control system of the Flying Spur features a Dynamic Mode on the Speed model. This allows greater degrees of wheel slip and gives power back to the driver more quickly after the traction control function is triggered. It might sound a little uncouth in a Bentley but promises to be great fun. The cabin is probably the best place to take in the Continental Flying Spur as the exterior isn't particularly striking. Rather than being an afterthought, the saloon was designed alongside the Continental GT coupe model and a full foot has been grafted into the wheelbase to ensure rear seat occupants never run the risk of deep vein thrombosis. The lines are dignified without being notably distinguished and the rather amorphous treatment of the front and rear lights seems a long way from cutting edge. The interior is demonstrably Bentley with acres of leather and wood veneers. The fascia has been designed with a notion of symmetry, the centre console rising up to divide two swathes of veneer that were designed to resemble the Bentley winged logo. It's said that Bentley's designers even took a tape measure to a team of New York basketball players to ensure that headroom is acceptable even to those at the extremes of the morphological scale. The Flying Spur can be specified with three seats across the back or a rather cosier two seat configuration with a beautifully finished veneered centre console. Bentley wouldn't stoop to anything as vulgar as a trim level. Instead, Continental Flying Spur customers are invited to personalise their vehicle from the gargantuan catalogue of materials, trim finishes and technological add-ons. The manufacturer is particularly proud of the stereo system on the latest model. Created specially for the Flying Spur by premium British hi-fi manufacturer Naim, it has 15 speakers driven by a 1,100-Watt amplifier. If that's not entertainment enough, the optional rear-seat entertainment package provided 7" TV screens mounted in the headrests, a 6 DVD multi-changer and headphones. Customers can change the look of their car's cabin with a selection of high quality chrome and wood inlays in different designs that give a traditional or contemporary feel. They can specify piping for their seats in a range of colours that match or contrast with the leather hide options. There's a wealth of choice and specifying your car could take as long as Bentley do to build it but the end result is certain to be special. There's no getting away from the fact that the cost of Bentley Continental Flying Spur ownership will be high but the people who can afford to buy one in the first instance are unlikely to be unduly fazed either by its 17mpg combined economy or its 396g/km emissions. Repair costs in a car this advanced are also predictably high but part of what you pay for with a Bentley is the service and owners can rest assured that their Bentley dealer will treat them like the royalty that they could quite conceivably be. The Bentley Continental Flying Spur is a car that sets out to impress the kinds of individuals who have the money to afford it. These people routinely experience the best of everything and are quite liable to turn their noses up at a car which falls short of their high standards. While you and I look on in amazement at some cars, celebrities, minor royals and the business elite might merely be rendered vaguely appreciative but the Flying Spur has the power to wow even them. It really is that good. The 6.0-litre V12 engine endows this car of nearly 2.5 tonnes with supercar performance but the Flying Spur posts its astonishing figures in an effortless fashion. Beautifully crafted inside and out, it cossets its occupants in a manner that very few motorcars can. Behind the fine leather and wood veneers, the latest technology drives the car's systems, a fine blend of the old and the new.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Bentley Continental Flying Spur
PRICE: from £117,500 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 396g/km
PERFORMANCE: [Flying Spur] Max Speed 195mph / 0-60mph 4.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [Flying Spur] (combined) 17mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, curtain and side airbags / ABS / stability control
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/ Height mm 5290/ 2118/1475mm