SUPER FLY
A new Bentley Continental Flying Spur

When Bentley revived the Continental Flying Spur back in 2006, it raised the bar on luxury sedans. With its 600 horsepower W12 motor, this 5580 luxury car went from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. Its roofline was rather peculiar, but the overall profile was slippery enough to propel the land yacht to a top speed of 200 miles per hour. For 2014, Bentley raises the bar again. Gone is the funny-looking C-pillar, replaced by a roof that’s decidedly more Bentley-esque. Power for the new Flying Spur continues to be Bentley’s 6.0-litre, twin turbo W12 engine, coupled to a ZF eight-speed transmission. Now developing 625 PS (616 bhp) and 800 Nm of torque, the manufacturer asserts that the new Flying Spur features more power than any other Bentley four-door in history. A 14 per cent improvement in the power-to-weight ratio over the outgoing model makes it even quicker, with a claimed 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds. The top-speed continues to be electronically limited to 200 mph. As with the existing Flying Spur, power is delivered to the road via all-wheel drive with a 40:60 rear-biased torque split.

Bentley Chairman and Chief Executive, Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, comments: “Bentley’s new Flying Spur is the ultimate luxury performance sedan. Our engineers have worked tirelessly to ensure that the Flying Spur is the perfect combination of power, comfort, refinement and hand-crafted quality. Fitted with the very latest technology, the new Flying Spur is equipped both for business and relaxation whilst remaining a car to enjoy from behind the wheel.” According to Bentley, the interior of the new Flying Spur includes 600 new parts, with only the sun visors, grab handles, armrests and some of the front console and controls carried over from the previous generation. The car is said to utilize close to ten square meters of “sustainably sourced” natural wood per car. An eight-channel, eight-speaker audio system with Balanced Mode Radiators provides high quality sound clarity, with the 1100W Naim® for Bentley premium system available as an option. The new Flying Spur makes its global debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show on 5th March.

SPECIFICATIONS Name of vehicle: 2014 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Price: TBA EPA fuel economy rating: City (US mpg): 12 Highway (US mpg): 20 Engine type: 6-litre twin-turbocharged W12 Horsepower: 616 bhp @6000 rpm Torque : 800 Nm/590 lb.ft @ 2000 rpm Transmission: ZF 8-speed automatic with Quickshift, Block Shifting and wheel-mounted paddleshift Driveline: Continuous all-wheel drive (40:60 rear bias) Steering Rack and pinion, power assisted, speed-sensitive ZF servotronic Suspension Front: Four link double wishbones, computer controlled self-levelling air suspension, with anti-roll bar Rear: Trapezoidal multi-link, computer-controlled self-levelling air suspension, with anti-roll bar Brakes Front: 405mm ventilated discs (optional 420mm Carbon Silicon Carbide, cross drilled) Rear: 335mm ventilated discs (optional 356mm, Carbon Silicon Carbide, cross drilled) Wheels: New 19" (2 finishes), opt 9.5J x 20", opt 9.5J x 21" (3 designs) Tires: 275/45 ZR19, 275/40 ZR20, 275/35 ZR21 Dimensions Overall length: 208.5 in Width (across body): 77.8 in Width (inc. mirrors): 86.9 in Overall height: 58.6 in Curb weight: 6546 pounds Performance Top speed: 200 mph 0-60 mph: 4.3 seconds 0-100 mph: 9.5 seconds