Owning a Bentley is much like wearing a diamond encrusted Hublot wristwatch to the most popular nightclub in town; it’s flashy, expensive, and you take pride in showing it off at every opportunity you are presented with. While generalizations of this sort would be apt for most models in the British marque’s range, the Flying Spur is an exception from the rule, for it is targeted at those in search of understated luxury.
Exterior
A Continental Coupe below its skin, the Bentley Flying Spur 2017 is as stately and extravagant as one would expect. Standing at 5.3-meters long, and with broad haunches and swopping contours, the Flying Spur is large without being overbearing. Does it possess the presence or head turning appeal of its Rolls-Royce Ghost rival, however? I’m afraid not.
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Interior
With polished wood and supple leather covering virtually every corner of the cabin, the designers’ attention to detail is evident in the Flying Spur. While it lacks the glass-finished buttons seen in its pricier sibling, the Mulsanne, the knurled metals and exquisite woods aren’t enough to distract from the inexpensive plastic controls and dated infotainment system.
At the back, where majority of the Flying Spur’s clientele would be seated, things are significantly nicer. Along with 10-inch entertainment screens, wireless headphones, reclining seats and numerous massage options, the Flying Spur is also equipped with a rear refrigerator to ensure those travelling in the back feel like royalty and nothing less.
Safety & Tech
With a long list of features, which includes the likes of a tire pressure monitoring system, customizable instrument cluster display, adaptive cruise control, and a Naim audio system, the Flying Spur is well equipped, if you forgive it for not offering a sunroof, blind spot detection, lane keeping assist, and a 360-degree camera while donning a price tag that is close to a million Dirhams.
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Drive
For a surge of power and unfussed acceleration, the 2017 Bentley Flying Spur conceals a 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine that produces 616 horsepower and 800 Nm of torque. Plenty, considering it is capable of hauling its weight to 100 km/h in 4.6-seconds and reaching a top speed of 320 km/h. While a plush, almost isolated ride is a given, the suspension and transmission can be tuned between two extremes (Comfort and Sport) to suit the driver’s mood.
Be it vacating the fast lane on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road or zooming down an empty back road in Al Qudra, the Bentley Flying Spur promises to deliver smile after smile. While the sky-blue hue is far from intimidating, the luxobarge’s understated approach to styling confirms that it isn’t out there to prove anything to anybody, for it knows that it can deliver when the time comes.
Verdict
At nearly a million Dirhams, the Bentley Flying Spur 2017 is not your everyday luxury sedan. In fact, while it will remain a dream for most, the thought of purchasing one would only cross one’s mind who hasn’t been acquainted with the Mulsanne yet.
Pros:
- Understated luxury
- Very well designed and put together
Cons:
- Lacks features you’d tend to expect in that price range
- Inexpensive plastic buttons dampen the overall experience in the cabin
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