Two and a half tons of power
Massive prestige
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| 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (Photo: Philippe Champoux) |
I always liked the style of Bentleys, with their center mesh grille as classy as it is sporty. I recently had the opportunity to drive a Bentley Continental Flying Spur for three days, which is enough to get a good idea of its attributes and to write a fairly comprehensive review. This two and a half ton car is worth more than $230,000. Its prestige is exclusive to a few lucky buyers. Therefore, I climbed into it with a conquered attitude. While I did appreciate the qualities we can expect from such an automobile, however, I also had a couple of disappointments.
Sporty heritage
Bentley became famous thanks to its powerful cars with 8.3-liter engines and its victories during the 1930s. The company was later purchased by Rolls-Royce. Bentley came back to racing during the 1980s and clearly showcased its sporty heritage by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But the Bentley products remained closely linked to those of Rolls-Royce.
Finally distinct
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| 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (Photo: Philippe Champoux) |
The Flying Spur is new for 2006 and will eventually replace the Arnage. The acquisition by Volkswagen led to a brainstorming in order to distinguish both brands, once complementary but now rivals. Bentley’s director of design, Dirk van Braeckel, penned the magnificent Continental GT; here, he copied the front lines but, at the rear, found his inspiration in the original 1957 Flying Spur. The result is a successfully mastered, high-class sedan. I love, among other things, the sharp headlights with circular cathode lamps. The car turns heads because of its prestige, because of its dignified and coveted English persona that commands respect — something its former sister, the Rolls, has not been able to preserve while taking a new direction.
German engineering
Volkswagen’s purchase of Bentley did not compromise the supreme status of the car. The new chassis of the Bentley comes from the Phæton,
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| 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (Photo: Philippe Champoux) |
the people’s large car. In addition, its W12 engine reigns above all the others. Two turbochargers give wings to this already powerful monster. Think about it: the 2475-kilos Continental Flying Spur sprints from 0 to 100 kph is just 5.6 seconds. What an accomplishment! The huge amount of torque is extremely well distributed by the all-wheel drive system and the six-speed automatic transmission. By using the sequential paddle shifters on the steering wheel — which are nicely positioned, by the way — the car is 1.3-second faster from 80 to 120 kph (3.3 seconds instead of 4.6 seconds).
Opulent interior
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| 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (Photo: Philippe Champoux) |
If I wrote about performance first, it’s because I associate Bentley with performance. As soon as you open the doors, you discover a rich environment appointed with the finest Connolly leathers England has to offer. The fit and finish as well as the contours of the seats (front and rear) provide comfort for all passengers. But as my boss said to me while I was chauffeuring him, the rear seat proves to be even more comfortable than the front buckets. This is also due to the suspension settings: when you set the automatic air shock absorbers for a smooth ride in the nice streets of Montreal, the front end bumps and bangs like a really old ship. When you set the suspension at three quarters, everything falls back into place.
Uneven fit and finish
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| 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (Photo: Philippe Champoux) |
The leathers and the walnut dashboard are all about quality and refinement. The thick floor mats and the generous shoulder room will gratify the occupants. On the other hand, I noticed some defects that a Bentley owner should not normally encounter. For example, the surface of the front door panels was not perfectly adjustable. Also, the insulating rubber around the right front door was dangling when I opened it. The pass-through that connects with the huge trunk could not be entirely shut; the latch was broken. Finally, while the buyer can choose from 17 leather tones and several high-quality wood trims, there are no standard sunshades in the rear side windows like in many cars in this category.
The drive
I liked the dashboard for its looks and ergonomics. The controls are easily found and manipulated, while the on-board computer is quite user-friendly. You must stop the car in order to enter an address in the navigation system; kudos to the designers.
On the highway, the drive is sublime. It’s easy to fly at 140-150 kph without even knowing it. While the speed is not electronically limited, I only exceeded the 200 kph mark for a brief moment and I never felt the least vibration. I did not try to reach the limit of 312 kph posted on the speedometer. On smaller roads, considering the weight of the car, the Flying Spur surprisingly pulls through in corners. As for the brakes, the huge discs quickly slow down this luxurious ship. However, the 19-inch
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| 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (Photo: Philippe Champoux) |
Yokohama tires disturb the quietness of the interior on concrete highways.
Unique
Every Bentley is largely hand-made according to the requests and desires of the customer. The Continental Flying Spur shows that Bentley still keeps alive and well its tradition of style and performance. Here’s hoping that the visible defects are only the result of my tester being a press car and that they won’t spoil Bentley’s reputation. The company deserves perfection and nothing less.
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