New 2014 Bentley Flying Spur review, test drive

The new Bentley Flying Spur comes with a raft of updates to make it even more luxurious and powerful. We take a look.

Published on May 22, 2013 03:14:00 PM

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New 2014 Bentley Flying Spur review, test drive

In true Bentley tradition, it has massive amounts of poke and almost commercial vehicle-like low rpm torque, which makes it feel light and effortless behind the wheel. The blown W12 engine now makes 616bhp, making this the most powerful four-door ‘flying B’ ever. 0-100kph is dispatched in approximately 4.3sec and what gets you dizzy is that performance only gets stronger as you approach 200kph. Despite the fact that this car weighs in excess of 2.5 tons, the massive 81.6kgm of torque from a low engine speed of just 2000rpm just hurls the car forward as if it has been flung forward over-arm by King Kong. What also helps massively is just how well the eight-speed ZF gearbox integrates with the motor, instantly providing you a choice of two gears for any given situation.

The old Conti Flying Spur never really drove particularly calmly, so this time around the air spring rates have been dropped by 10 to 15 percent. The anti-roll bars have been softened and the bushes are significantly softer as well. And though it rides better, on its softer setup, you do get the occasional ‘thwack’ from the suspension over sharper bumps on the road due to the air springs. And body control only improves at speed or when you stiffen up the suspension.