Car review: The new Bentley Flying Spur V8 is a comfortable 2.4 tonne beast
I can think of worse ways to be stuck in traffic than sitting inside a Bentley, especially if you’re not driving it yourself. This is particularly true of the new four-door Flying Spur V8, which has emerged from the shadow of the two-door Continental GT range, and now stands as its own separate model line.
This process began last year with the revised W12 variant, and is now complete – according to Bentley – with the introduction of this new V8 version. Smaller than Bentley’s flagship Mulsanne without being cramped, the Flying Spur is handy around town. Last year’s revisions have delivered a fine-looking prestige automobile.
The lines are taut and the bulk well-disguised. Subtle detailing includes Bentley badges backed in red instead of black and a figure of eight tailpipe design, as well as 19-inch alloy wheels, which you’re probably going to bin in favour of 20s from the options list. Before you do, consider that the smaller wheels, along with the specially developed set of tyres that go with them, have been added to the V8 to further refine the ride quality, with the aim of making it even more comfortable than the already improved W12. Given the state of London’s road surfaces, think twice before sacrificing this adjustment for appearances. It might just save you from spilling your drink.
To be brutally honest, it still doesn’t glide over rough roads like the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class. But while that tech-laden chariot is undoubtedly within touching distance of the “best car in the world” title, the Bentley gives you something the Benz can’t offer: handcrafted interior luxury. So good and so beautiful is the interior of the Flying Spur you begin to wonder how Bentley can possibly produce this level of quality for the money. Which is no small statement when the car in question starts at £136,000.
Inside the Bentley Flying Spur V8
The secret is in the optional extras, including the fabulous two-seater rear complete with electric reclining seats. You also get a reduced range of paint and trim finishes within the basic price, though the world is your leather-coated oyster if you’re prepared to spend beyond that. All Flying Spurs get a 007-worthy touchscreen remote in the back, and regardless of trim choice the craftsmanship and materials are unimpeachable.
Should you deign to take the wheel yourself, you’ll find a steed willing to please, although it’s ultimately undone in the corners by its 2.4-tonne bulk. Not that it matters much, because the twin-turbo eight-cylinder engine, co-developed with Audi, produces 507hp and will shove you along the straights so fast you’ll rarely need to stretch the air suspension on the curves.
Yes, its 616hp 12-cylinder big brother is faster still and only costs another £10,000, but choosing the V8 isn’t about price or performance – it’s about convenience. The whole reason for the V8’s existence is to improve efficiency. Not because Bentley buyers can’t afford the petrol, but because it allows them to go 25 per cent further on every tank. Which means wasting less time standing in a garage filling it up – with an interior as exquisite as this, time spent outside the car is time wasted. CJ Hubbard works for motoringresearch.com.