BENTLEY CONTINENTAL FLYING SPUR
Nauman Farooq finds out how much difference two more doors and a stretch really make.
Bentley Continental Flying Spur
This is it then, the new Bentley Continental Flying Spur. No more static displays, no more exotic spotting, it is now here, in person, looking better than I ever expected it to be, and what's more, I have the keys to take it for a drive.
This four-wheel-drive Bentley is just phenomenal. If you think this is no more than a VW Phaeton with twin turbos and a longer wheelbase, you're missing the point.
I am already a huge fan on the Continental GT coupe, which is what the Flying Spur is based on, so how does it get along on the road?
The view from the front
      |
From the driver's seat, nothing looks any different from the coupé. The dash, the centre console and the buttons are all the same. Despite a more upright windscreen, the view out is the same too. However, glance in the rear-view mirror and you'll notice that this car is much, much longer than the coupé. Now turn your head and look at the rear seats. There you have seating for three, with enough room to stretch your legs out as if you are travelling first class on British Airways.
This would probably replace a lot of stretch limos currently in service for celebrities and dignitaries. Not only do you have the space, but it is also far more refined than any limo I have ever been in.
It is also better looking than any limo. The design looks just right and you only get a sense of that when you see it in person. When I first saw the pictures of the Flying Spur, I thought it looked like a stretched banana, but in reality it looks right. Design-wise, my favourite four-door is still the Maserati Quattroporte, but this plays a very close second.
To drive, this Bentley is not just good, but better than you can possibly imagine it to be. The car I drove was a pre-production test vehicle, a hybrid of European and North American spec. That is why, the nose has a GB plate, and the tail has a manufacturer plate from Michigan, USA. This car is part of a North American press and customer test-drive tour.
The fate of this particular vehicle is sad however. Once the tour is finished, it'll be crashed by NHTSA, for safety data. So, between it rolling off the production line, to its doom date at the crash centre, I had a fling with it in Toronto to see what owners of this car would have to live with.
On the road
This is a phenomenal car. For a car weighing about 2.5 tons, it moves like a much smaller, sportier car. The reason for that is the huge W12 6-litre engine producing 552bhp.
The very second you prod the accelerator, this car just lunges forward like it was shot out of a cannon. 0-60 mph gets covered in 4.9 seconds, and a GPS-timed top speed of 208 mph, according to Autocar. It's 10mph faster than its coupe counterpart, because it is a bit more slippery through the air because it produces less downforce than the coupé. This also means that the limo is as fast as a Mercedes McLaren SLR and a Porsche Carrera GT. But in the Bentley, your friends and their luggage can come along too.
That on its own should be enough reason to buy this car. However, when you stop being a speed freak and take a calming drive through town, in comfort mode, it is just a phenomenal luxury car.
The suspension settings are great. In sport mode, it is tight, and composed, but the gearbox is a bit lurchy, too sensitive to your pedal input, not great if the lady is the back wants to keep her composure as she gets driven away. However, in comfort mode, it accelerates with a lot more grace. If you need to come to a quick stop, that's no problem either, since this big Bentley has humungous brakes.
The Flying Spur handles well too. While my drive wasn't on British B-roads, the way it handles corners is just shocking for so huge a car. I absolutely love the steering on this car. Behind the perfect steering feel of the Porsche 911 and the Subaru Impreza WRX, the Spur plays a close third -- that's how nice the Bentley's steering feels. If this were a rear-wheel drive car, it feels as if it would be an easy car to drift and control, because of the steering. But with all wheels driven, if you ever get this sideways, you are either very talented or in serious trouble.
This is just about one of the nicest cars I have ever driven. I love it, and if I was in the market for a luxury sedan, this would be on the top of my list. Costing £115,000, the price is the same as the Continental GT coupé. So you can choose: big four-door sedan, or two-door coupé?
I'd take the GT because I don't need the extra space. However, if my father does win the lottery, I know exactly what car he should buy next.