FREE FRIED EGG WITH EVERY HYBRID

The Flying Spur Hybrid’s 14.1kwh battery pack can be fully recharged through its charging port only, and not by the engine on the move, but a Hold mode makes it possible to save the charge for later deployment.

In Hybrid mode, the system will try to make the most appropriate use of the battery’s energy when a destination is set in the sat-nav, prioritising electric operation for slower and busier roads. The navigation display also gives a visual indication of potential electric range from wherever the car is, drawing a green area that shrinks as the battery level falls. Bentley engineers refer to the resulting shape as ‘the fried egg’.

This definitely works better at higher charge levels. By the time available range dropped to under two miles in our testing, the system seemed to struggle to keep up and the resulting green area was often shown away from any roads and – while travelling down the Pacific Coast Highway – some distance into the neighbouring ocean.