Quintessential REFINEMENT
Bentley has injected more luxury and comfort into the Flying Spur — all for the right reasons
In Thailand, it is usually said that one when has so much money to spend on a motor, it would just be better to go for a highend sports car. So where does that leave Bentley with its 20 million baht Flying Spur that has just gone into its second generation this year? Wouldn’t a Continental GT suffice with its elegant coupe body and stonking 12-cylinder performance?
The simple differentiator is that if you have a penchant for super-luxury limos — as China does now it has emerged as the largest market for Bentley’s four-door model — the Flying Spur should be one highly credible option on your shopping list.
And while the Flying Spur and Conti GT (plus the convertible body) are closely related, Bentley doesn’t actually want you to think so, explaining why the new Flying Spur conveniently omits the Continental name now.
Sure, the classic nose — with those beautiful, bezel-like headlights and meshed grille — are shared with all of Bentley’s three entry-level body derivatives. But what obviously separates the Flying Spur from its two siblings is the B-pillar and beyond by gaining two large portals, a long rear end to boot and controversially styled rear lights.
In fact, the quirky-looking tail had been under lots of discussion among fellow motoring hacks at the Flying Spur’s international driving trials held in Beijing this month.
But if Rolls-Royce can get away with its even more debatable styling cues in the Ghost — the Flying Spur’s conceptual rival if you put pricing aside — then Bentley’s version should have good reason to appeal.
It almost appears as a British matter because the Jaguar XJ, as well, has a thought-provoking rear, which obviously leaves the Aston Martin Rapide as still the best-looking super saloon to emerge from the UK.
But that’s not the point in the Flying Spur, as Bentley may happily concur, because it intends to mix a little bit of sportiness — one of the brand’s virtues — with stately nostalgia.
The best evidence of this is the Flying Spur’s interior, despite sharing the same design language as the two Contis. The relatively high door line, twin-binnacle fascia and leather upholstery is so typically British.
Of course, we are talking about a Bentley here, so you configure a variety of interior colours and trims to your liking.
A key thing maintained in the Flying Spur is the sense of quality you can expect from a car positioned in such a price strata. Yes, it does feel rightly expensive inside.
In order to keep abreast with modern gimmicks, the Flying Spur has all kinds of gadgets relating to convenience you’d find in lower priced saloons like the Mercedes S-class.
Opt for full specification and the Flying Spur nets you rear seats that can slide, recline, cool and massage. There are also tablet-style monitors with all kinds of digital connectivity, a great-sounding audio system from Naim and a cooler box located behind the centre armrest.
Speaking of the two latter features, they substantially erode into a boot that would otherwise be usefully large. By sitting on a 3m-long wheelbase, there’s absolutely no problem with rear legroom.
The decision by Bentley to put more focus on rear comfort is a result of the Flying Spur’s increasing popularity among Asian buyers, particularly the affluent Chinese. You now know why Bentley has chosen to let us drive the new Flying Spur in the Middle Kingdom.
Which then brings us to the question: is the Flying Spur equally as great to drive as it is to sit in? In a nutshell, the car’s driving capabilities are marred by some niggles.
For a start, the driver’s cockpit is far from perfect. Although there isn’t a problem with the vastly adjustable driving position, some functions are obscured by the steering wheel and not ideally located.
Because it’s a 5m-long barge we’re talking about here, the Flying Spur feels big — and heavy — on the move, despite Bentley claiming to shave some 50kg off from the previous model.
Coping with this two-tonner is the same 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 now producing a higher 625hp — the same level as in the go-faster Speed versions of the coupe and cabrio — and transmitting its power to the 40:60 front/rear split all-wheel-drive via an eight-speed automatic instead of the older six-speed.
What you get in the Flying Spur is prodigious levels of performance. It feels proper old-school 12-cylinder by the way it sounds (not as sweet as a V8) and by how it yields wallops of power under hard acceleration and during overtaking.
There’s absolutely no shortage of grunt in the Flying Spur and it’s actually good medicine for the car’s excessive weight.
Fuel economy may not to be discussed by potential owners. But after driving the Flying Spur for several hundred kilometres north of Beijing near the Mongolian border, we managed to attain a meagre 6kpl — even under unaggressive driving.
Immediately, Bentley’s new downsized 4.0-litre twin-turbo springs to mind. While the Audi-shared V8 has already made it into the Continentals, it hasn’t yet for the Flying Spur, meaning that it is 12-cylinder prestige for the moment.
Despite being a compact and unique design, you still tend to point your finger at the W12 when dealing with corners. The car’s front end doesn’t feel as willing
to turn in as, say, in the more agile XJ or sportier Panamera.
The Flying Spur has a got a four-step adaptive suspension system (which isn’t that straightforward to operate: press a button on the console and then go to the touchscreen to choose the setting).
The general chassis set-up in the Flying Spur leans towards comfort. In fact, Bentley says the ride is softer than before and is a distinguishing trait from the other two Contis, which also have this adjustable suspension.
But don’t think for a moment that the most extreme setting will transform the Flying Spur into a Panamera of some sort. What the firmest mode merely wishes to do is eradicate unwanted body movements under enthusiastic driving.
Or if you just want to have a flatter ride than usual when cruising at high speeds, this is the mode to choose for to make the ride serene while complementing the exceptional levels of external noise suppression.
That’s what the Flying Spur is all about: effortlessly fast in a straight line and utterly comfortable and refined at high speeds.
Of course, it generally handles well with a nicely weighted steering. But as said earlier, the Flying Spur doesn’t feel totally at home on challenging roads due to its weight. Moreover, the obtrusive A-pillar design hampers proper driving vision on corners.
Which rather sums up the Flying Spur again: it’s not meant to be a driving machine as some other nearby rivals portray themselves.
But if you take the overall package into account, you could say that Bentley is simply trying to make its latest junior four-door a closer match for the likes of the S-class — just that the Flying Spur is priced higher for a seemingly loftier image.
It won’t be easy for us to instantly recommend the Flying Spur to those with fat wallets due to its price position. You would also have to sort out your priorities regarding how you’d expect such a car to behave on the move.
The good thing now within Bentley’s game, however, is the clearer line that separates the Flying Spur from its two relatives.
If you want to drive yourself, the Continental GT is still the way to go in that department. However, if you don’t mind being driven by someone else, well, you now have a much more pampering alternative.