if you could be so bold

Bentley’s new Flying Spur has been redesigned from the ground up

ASK the gents in Crewe what’s new about the third-generation Flying

Spur and they’ll tell you it’s absolutely everything.

Sharing only its name with the previous generation Flying Spur, Bentley describes the new Grand Touring sedan as a “technological tour de force of innovation, connectivity, passenger comfort and driver excitement”.

It is, however, still handcrafted at the Home of Bentley, in Crewe, England.

The new Flying Spur is built around a completely new aluminium and composite architecture, and also boasts a 48V electronic system. The exterior design is bolder and more muscular than before, and features cut-crystal effect LED matrix headlights, as well as a newly-designed deployable “Flying B” bonnet mascot.

Its heart is an enhanced version of Bentley’s 6-litre twin-turbo W12, which produces 467kW and 900Nm, enough to get the land yacht from 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds according to claims. The engine is mated to an eight-speed ZF dualclutch transmission, as per the latest Continental GT.

To provide the kind of agility that belies its size, Bentley has installed Electronic All-Wheel-Steering for the first time, as well as an improved all-wheel-drive system that now has variable torque distribution, as opposed to the previous version’s fixed 60:40 split. A cosseting ride is ensured by three-champer air springs, which contain 60% more air volume than before, while Continuous Damping Control allows for constant regulation of the shocks.

But it’s the cabin that must delight most in a car of this nature and, to that end, Bentley has created a cocoon that’s more spacious, thanks to a 130mm longer wheelbase, as well as more elegant and at the electronic cutting edge.

Buyers can choose from an extensive list of Single and Dual Veneer wood options, while seating choices, in addition to 15 different leather hides, include both fluted leather seating and the distinctive Mulliner Driving Specification diamond quilting, as well as a world first in the form of three-dimensional diamond quilted leather door inserts.

The Bentley Mulliner Personalisation programme, furthermore, offers a “limitless spectrum of colour, to suit all tastes and spectrums”.