Bentley Flying Spur V8 review: Flying off the shelves
So far this year, Bentley has outsold such mainstream carmakers as Alfa Romeo, Renault and Seat. Cars like the Flying Spur V8 are why.
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IF a single word sums up the Bentley Flying Spur V8, it’s quite simply, “Wow.” It’s inevitably the first thing to tumble from your pals’ lips when they lay eyes on its sizeable form and take in the thrusting proportions, along with the various touches of grandeur that bejewel the bodywork.
It’s also what spills from the mouths of everyone on board when the driver tromps down hard on the accelerator, rousing 550 horsepower to action, the lengthy bonnet rising as the big Bentley hurtles towards the horizon with startling haste.
Above all, an awed “wow” is what most people say when they discover the price. At S$1,241,000, it amounts to a serious pile of spondoolies, and that doesn’t even include optional extras or the Certificate Of Entitlement.
Not that anyone seems to mind. Bentley looks on track to blast past last year’s record sales of 103 cars here. In fact, with 64 units registered in the first 5 months of this year, the venerable British brand has sold more cars than Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Jeep, Maserati, or even mainstream brands such as Renault and Seat. It’s only money, one supposes.
Cars like the Flying Spur are why the brand is, well, flying. No matter how jaded or indifferent to cars you are, it’s impossible not to fawn over the sheer scale of the thing, not to mention the way it drips with opulence — notice the crystal headlights, the front grille the size of Buckingham Palace’s gates, and the sculptural “Flying B” emblem that’s proudly lit at night.
It helps that the Flying Spur is not merely big but handsome with it, with such a rakishly angled front windscreen, fetchingly broad rear flanks and impressively taut lines all over. The aluminium body, incidentally, is so finely creased because its panels are superheated and then formed by high-pressure jets of water.
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If you’re curious about the inside, start with the rear. That’s where reclining massage chairs (ventilated, of course), pillowy head cushions and a detachable touchscreen controller help to create a motoring experience that few cars offer. You can add geegaws like a fridge for champagne, a killer sound system and ambient lighting if you like, and of course the options for colour and trim are nearly limitless. Lots of cars are comfy to sit in for hours, but the Bentley is as sumptuous as it gets, and the ability to have it exactly to your liking is half the pleasure of owning one.
No prizes for guessing what the other half is. The front of the Bentley is a busy place with buttons and knobs galore, though it’s no less plush or posh than the rest of the car, but the experience at the tiller is the real treat. The 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 is one of 3 drivetrain choices for the Flying Spur, and is probably the best one. It’s only slightly less brawny than the mighty 6.0-litre 12-cylinder at the top of the Flying Spur tree, yet it contributes to roughly 100 kg of weight savings, which makes for more agile handling. Sure enough, the Bentley is actually a fun car to drive hard, in that it shrugs off its elephantine size impressively.
There’s enough grip and traction to get you in and out of corners as quickly as you would ever want to go (especially with monetary stakes this high), while the creamy engine is a gem, with a voice both cultured and forceful. The 8-speed auto, meanwhile, feels as if it’s lubricated by honey and butter, so sweet and slick are its shifts.
More to the point, the Bentley hikes its skirt up and picks up speed in an addictive way, and if you have enough clear road, it won’t stop accelerating until it reaches 318 km/h. Breakfast at home, brunch in Kuala Lumpur and lunch in Penang, anyone?
But let’s not pretend that anyone is buying these for the speed and exhilaration. The Bentley offers a sense of occasion that can only be beaten by a Rolls-Royce, is fast enough to hang with exotic supercars on the highway, and of course, is a massive show of massive wealth. You drive this not because people will look at you, but for the way they look at you.
That’s material, because as lavishly appointed as it is, the Flying Spur is actually fairly difficult to justify in purely automotive terms. Its dashboard is starting to look dated, and the infotainment system is laggy at times. The Mercedes S-Class rides more serenely, while the back is just as comfy and might even be more spacious, given how the German car has a longer wheelbase. The next BMW 7 Series, due here at the end of the year, will actually be just as big as the Flying Spur.
Yet, compared to this, other cars feel like mere things of steel and glass. What the Flying Spur V8 reveals is that even if cars and technology get old, the feeling you get from driving a Bentley never does.
Bentley Flying Spur V8
Engine 3,996 cc, V8, twin-turbocharged
Power 550 hp at 6,000 rpm
Torque 770 Nm at 2,000 to 4,000 rpm
Gearbox 8-speed dual-clutch
0-100km/h 318 km/h
Top speed 4.1 seconds
Fuel efficiency 12.6 L/100km
Agent Wearnes Automotive
Price S$1,241,000 without COE
Available Now
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