Bentley Flying Spur V8S: The Sporting Side of Luxury

1 February 2018 Redazione News, Tested

BENTLEY FLYING SPUR V8 S

The Sporting Side of Luxury

Words: Christian Parodi

Photography: Bentley Motors

The new Flying Spur is no longer known as Continental FS, but it hasn’t lost the desire to run fast. Having the opportunity to opt for the new 8-cylinder, the idea of being accompanied by the faithful driver can finally leave space to the desire to drive in first person what represents the link between the classic V8 and the exaggerated W12.

The first thought that comes to mind as I approach this mastodon on wheels is that dimensions continue to play a fundamental role, despite being considered as the “little” sister of the Mulsanne – the Flying Spur is 5.2 meters long, 2.2 wide and basically 1 meter and 50 high. This translates into an exceptional on-board capability, both for those lucky enough to sit in front, and for those who will occupy the rear seats. To make its image even more impressive we have 20 or 21 inch wheels. The lines are softer than before and the details that characterize the V8 S, such as the black front grille and the rear diffuser, are the same that make it more inclined to the sportiness that until now left more room for luxury and driving comfort. Accentuated by this light but well-chosen makeup, the Flying Spur seems wanting to open the door, asking me to enter and see the world from its perspective. Everything is in perfect Bentley-style, with a very neat dashboard that matches the comfortable leather armchairs and the trim of the dashboard, in this case in aluminum, another reference to the desire for speed that will be unleashed once I’ll give life to the engine.

The V8 is a 4-liter with two turbos and 521 horses, but manages to combine a useful technology able to limit fuel consumption and emissions, turning off 50% of the cylinders, when your driving style does not need to call into question all of its power reserve. The following moment, the engine will be at full capacity and at just 1700 rpm will unleash a torque of 680Nm, a secret ingredient that allows this two and a half tons giant to move with great speed under any circumstances. It is the double nature of the Flying Spur that makes this Bentley a complete car, at ease over long distances and especially on extra-urban roads, where consumption stops at 8l/100km – different story in the city, also because of the mass to move, as you will have to put into account to say goodbye to 15.9l/100km, while in the mixed cycle has scored a 10.9l/100km. Not that money for petrol is the primary fear of the typical Bentley customer, although we are dealing with the much more sensible 8-cylinder version, but it’s nice to note that when used in the ideal environment and with a relatively light foot, the Flying Spur will not be a money-hungry vampire.

Driving a sort-of-limousine with no one on board and 90% of technological goodies turned off is not the best way to taste the nature of a project designed to make any journey as relaxed and exclusive as possible, but with performance figures like this, everything implies that you go in search of a fairly clear road to give a hard time to its fat tires. Traction is obviously on all four wheels and distributed on both axles at 40:60, while activating the “S” mode, the throttle response becomes sharper and the eighth gear of the ZF automatic gearbox is deactivated, so as to ensure a better engine braking and make the driving experience more voted for sportiness. In the most sudden direction changes it is easy to feel the weight that you carry around, but the main sensation is to travel on rails, with the car body that follows with great precision the setting of the curve itself and the engine torque to contribute in grinding kilometers and gaining speed in fluency. It just takes 4.9 seconds from parked to 100 kph, while the V8 S is able to touch and exceed 300 per hour – all with a very pleasant roar coming out of the pair of “8-shaped” exhausts (typical Bentley design for 8-cylinder engines), but at the same time maintaining an exceptional soundproofing of the passenger compartment.

Bentley confirms that there are about 17 standard colors and over 90 extra combinations to choose from, in order to customize the car according to the most particular customer preferences. The little time at my disposal did not allow me to deepen the functionality of the 8-inch touchscreen display, which can also act as a TV screen, same story goes for the quality of the 1100W Naim audio system, since I preferred to devote every minute possible finding the answer to the big question that would haunt me if I had the good fortune to own a Flying Spur V8 S. Drive or be driven? And I personally believe that after a few meters, I have already understood that when you are dealing with a car of such elegance and royalty, able to offer over 500 horses and such a driving fluidity, the place to be is that of the driver, making sure to set the sat-navigator for a location that knows how to satisfy in terms of destination, but also blinking an eye to the journey.

BENTLEY FLYING SPUR V8 S (2017-)

Layout   –  front-engined, all-wheel-drive

Engine  –  V8 cylinder – 3.993cc – twin-turbo

Transmission  –  8-speed automatic gearbox

Power  –  521 hp @ 6.000 rpm

                      680 Nm @ 1.700 rpm

Weight  –  2.492 kg

Acceleration  –  4,9 sec.

Top Speed  –  306 kph

Price  –  from € 237.606