Bentley’s exquisite new hybrid
The Flying Spur delivers a ride that is even more silky smooth than you’d expect. Jasper Spires reports
Bentley has always been synonymous with silky smooth motoring, but the Flying Spur Hybrid transcends older models – there is “nothing more luxurious than the sound and feel of running around on battery power alone”, says Richard Ingram for Auto Express. The Flying Spur model isn’t solely electric just yet – the 34bhp electric motor is combined with a V6 engine – but the car defaults to electric-vehicle (EV) mode every time it is started, meaning that it moves off without making any noise, says Mike Duff in Piston Heads. The result is a ride that is “almost freakishly quiet” and effortless, while delivering near-supercar levels of performance. The car goes from rest to 60mph in 4.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 177 mph – staggeringly fast for a vehicle weighing just over two and a half tonnes.
It’s the quality of the drive that really defines the experience though. The V6 engine is down two cylinders from what traditional fans are used to, but they probably won’t be missed. Bentley reckons that cabin noise under gentle electric acceleration is “just half that of the hardly rowdy V8”. The handling is good too, with a ride that’s “pliant and plush over bigger undulations” and impressive body control for such a large machine, which keeps the car from drifting as you sail from A to B.
It looks great, too. “The Flying Spur certainly knows how to make an entrance,” says Steven Ewing in CNET. It is “long and low, athletic and elegant”, and represents the very essence of high-class engineering. The new model retains Bentley’s signature look, but there is also a huge range of customisable options – you can choose everything from the wheel size to the LED lights and pick from a myriad of pearlescent paint jobs. “There are literally 56 billion ways to configure a Flying Spur (really!), so please, go wild.”
The car’s interior is plush too, and features a 12.3-inch touchscreen affixed to the dash, or if you prefer housed in the “very cool” optional Bentley Rotating Display, which includes navigation systems, battery-life display and “eco-driving packages” to help cut down on fuel costs. However, it’s the classic Bentley features that continue to stand out. “Run your fingers across the threads of the hand-stitched seams. Pore over the intricate knurling on the stalks and knobs. Feel the weight of the plungers that open and close the air vents.” Turn on the massaging seats. Those “silky hides, wood veneers and polished metal accents are the stuff of Champagne-fuelled dreams”, and exemplify the exquisite care Bentley takes to provide for the driver.
The Flying Spur is long and low, athletic and elegant, and represents the very essence of high-class engineering”
Prices from £170,000. See: bentleymotors.com