Bentley Flying Spur Review: A Luxurious Driver's Car

The Bentley Flying Spur has been out for more than a year, so I thought the time is right to rigorously test it to see whether it fits the Bentley badge. The Flying Spur is to Bentley what the Ghost is to Rolls Royce. It is a cheaper and more practical (read: less flashy) alternative to the big Mulsanne. It is not just a car to be driven in – instead, it can be driven as well. So let’s have a look at the 4-door version of the Continental GT.

Exterior

At first glance, there is no significant difference observed in the exterior compared to the previous versions. The only difference instantly noticeable is the tail. From the side, it completely resembles the older Audi A8 with a mix of Maserati Quattroporte, which also launched around the same time in the UAE. Like all Bentleys, this model comes with a bespoke paint job as per the customer’s requirement. However, bespoke paint will obviously take longer to deliver than the available stock colors. Additionally, Bentley offers an array of alloy options that spoil the customer’s choice.

Interior

Bentley delivers luxury, no question about it. It is meant for a person who wants no compromise and is ready to pay for whatever they desire in their car. Like the exterior, the interior color is bespoke as per customer’s demand or they can select from preset colors. It’s a mix of leather and wood everywhere. You know it screams luxury and refinement the moment you sit in the car and look at the plush interior. There is also the Mulliner trim option for those who want to stand out from the rest.

The one thing I felt could be improved was the noise cancellation. For a car that costs almost a million Dirhams, I was expecting less or no road/wind noise. Thankfully, the engine is quiet and makes for a relatively quieter cabin experience.

It is a Bentley, so expect oodles of space for both the front and second rows – especially the second row. The rear seats feel like sitting in business class on a plane, considering the leg space provided. The boot is also big enough to hold all your traveling needs with ease.

As for visibility, the lack of blind spot detection does come as a surprise, but thankfully all the windows are well designed to provide a pretty good view of your surroundings. All in all, no complaints.

Coming to the features, you have all the usual suspects: massage seats, seat coolers, high-definition touch screens, etc. We all know that since it's expected from Bentley, anything less just won’t do.

Drive

The 6.0 litre W12 engine delivering 616 BHP and 800 Nm torque mated to an 8-speed automatic powers this 3-ton monster. The thing I liked most about the drive was the unlimited torque available at any speed without any delay. You don’t need to floor the gas pedal to get the Spur to go fast. In fact, while I was driving, I did not even push the RPM above 4000 as I was mesmerized by the way it accelerates. I finally got a chance to floor it on one long stretch of road and it instantly brought a smile to my face. The Flying Spur accelerates from 0-100 in 4.6s, though I could only manage it in no less than 6.0s.

For those intrigued by its fuel consumption, it is on the heavier side. During the test run, the Bentley consumed 18.7 liters of fuel every 100 km. But, that was expected given the engine size as well as the girth of this beast.

The seamless power was accompanied by fantastic brakes and suspension. Result? This Spur wants to be driven – especially when the road starts bending. On roads where the speed limit is advised to be around 40 kph on the bends, this car was going easily above 100 kph without any hassle. This is amazing, especially if you consider how heavy this car is. Moreover, the brakes work astonishingly well. This behemoth halts from 100 to a standstill in 2.8 seconds – that’s sports car territory. Kudos!

Verdict

The Bentley Flying Spur is what it is - a luxurious driver's car.