Bentley Flying Spur 2020 Review

Old-school luxury limousines are not dead yet and Bentley has provided some substantial new proof. Indeed, the British brand makes big bucks from its hero SUV, the Bentayga, but it is still the Bentley Flying Spur limousine that sits at the top of its range.

Now, we have the third-generation of the Bentley Flying Spur, tracking back to the 1950s, with Australian deliveries in the second quarter of 2020 commencing at a minimum spend of $469,000 (plus ORCs).

The proof on Bentley’s promises arrives in Monaco, where a fleet of Flying Spurs is waiting outside the Hotel de Paris for a two-day, money-can’t-buy trip into the lifestyles of the poor but influential.

What emerges is a car with lots in its favour (even in a world where over-indulgence is not encouraged) including benchmark technology and the sort of craftsmanship that combines robotic exactitude with hand-finished woodwork and leather.

It is also a unique combination of luxury and driving enjoyment.

Less than one-tenth of Flying Spur buyers now ride in the back seat of their big and bold Bentley, but the death of the chauffeur and the rise of SUVs has not damaged the following for the car with the (now retractable) Flying B mascot on the nose.

The Flying Spur is the only genuine rival to a Rolls-Royce at the very top end of motoring, although there is also the Maybach from Mercedes-Benz or fully-loaded big Audis or BMWs.

The difference between the heavy haulers, according to Bentley, is that people like to drive their Spurs and are prepared to put 600km into a day for the right destination.

“It’s relatively to easy to make a sporty car and to make a refined car. But to combine both is the big challenge,” Peter Guest, the vehicle line director for the Bentley Flying Spur, tells carsales in Monaco.

“It’s a dynamic capability. Personally, I was a little bit sceptical about it at first, but now I completely get it on the Flying Spur. It’s the extra dimension -- and it’s made a huge difference,” Guest says.

Bentley is part of the Volkswagen Group and that means, inevitably, a degree of commonality with other family brands including Porsche. But the truly shared roots of the Spur are in the Continental and Bentayga.

“The structure of all three is largely the same, but the middle section is much different. It’s a five-seater and has a completely different rear package,” says Guest.

Once you get right down to the nuts-and-bolts, Guest says the car goes in a different direction.

“Typically there are about 8000 parts in a car. For the Flying Spur, I would say about two-thirds of those are unique.”

Still, the package is familiar for anyone who knows Bentley and big luxury limos.

The engine is in the front, the people are in the middle and the luggage goes in the boot; there is a twin-turbo W12 engine in the nose and an eight-speed automatic with active all-wheel drive.

The new Flying Spur is 130 millimetres longer and has rear-wheel steering --to help with parking as much as high-speed stability. At low speeds, the rear wheel steer counter to the front to reduce the effective wheelbase. The opposite is true of the system at high speeds.

The Bentley Flying Spur weighs in at a hefty 2437kg, even though both the body-in-white and updated engine are lighter than before. Given the mass, the Flying Spur’s performance figures are even more impressive.

The engine makes 467kW and a 900Nm wall of torque sufficient for a 0-100km/h launch in just 3.8sec and a surge that goes well beyond (three times!) Australia’s legal limits to a top speed of 333km/h. The car is actually fastest in sixth gear -- seventh and eighth gear are overdriven for economy.

As yet there are no economy or emission figures quoted by Bentley at the launch -- few owners are likely to be particularly bothered. Later our research confirmed a WLTP Combined figure of a not overly profligate 14.8L/100km. Thanks a 90-litre fuel tank for decent range.

It’s the same with a crash test score, because no-one is likely to pay close to $500,000 to smack a car into a wall.

The bottom line is that the car is surprisingly brisk at any speed and can easily cover hundreds and hundreds of kilometres in a day without stressing the driver or his or her companions.

The styling of the Bentley Flying Spur can be seen as a spin-off from the Continental GT, particularly with muscular rear haunches. But design director Stefan Seilaff says he and his team have worked hard to give the car its own personality with more of the ’step aside’ impact of a flagship.

“This time the Flying Spur has a stronger character. For me, the old Flying Spur was too close -- it was like a four-door Continental GT. Now, it is a more characterful member of the family,” he says.

“The proportions are very clear to make a classic saloon with a trunk, and a cabin and an engine room. Nevertheless, with the power lines and haunches we tried to make the car look dynamic. When you see the shape you immediately want to drive it on your own.”

Asked to choose his favourite features, Seilaff points to the nose with its prominent grille and multi-faceted round headlamps.

“With the headlights, there are no carryover parts. But we tried to keep the family feeling. The grille looks more luxury but you can have the Black Package to make it look more sporty,” Seilaff explains.

Inside, the design boss picks up a minor detail - the rectangular air vents in the centre of the dash.

“It is the first time we don’t do the round 'bulls-eye’ vents. It is always crazy to break away from these icons, but you cannot do round air vents forever.”

Seilaff is also proud of the amount of aluminium in the car, which created challenges (and conflicts with Bentley’s engineers) over things like the massive single-piece side body pressing.

The finished piece with its complex detailing was only possible via a process called Superforming. Here heated aluminium sheets are slowly pressed into shape, something Bentley is claiming as a new benchmark for the process.

Everything you expect in a super-luxury flagship comes in the Bentley Flying Spur.

It has all sorts of high-tech Volkswagen Group goodies, from a heads-up display to a 12.3-inch high-def infotainment touch screen, two USB ports and wireless charging.

On the safety side, it has the largest steel brakes in the world (shared with Continental GT) night vision, City Safety, blind-spot warning and all the rest.

The Flying Spur’s air suspension now has three chambers at each corner for improved ride control, as well as driver-choice settings that actually make a difference to feel and grip.

Power is usually fed to the rear wheels, but it can divert to the front for more drive, as well as vectoring to each of the corners to boost cornering grip.

Inside, the Bentley Flying Spur is more like the Hotel de Paris than a Hyundai. Everything you can see and touch is real, from the deep leather hides to the hand-finished woodwork.

The most impressive piece in the cabin is the rotating centre panel, which can reflect the infotainment, display three old-school dials, or revert to a plain wooden panel. The real trick is getting it perfectly aligned, every time and all the time, something engineering boss, Guest, says is a triumph for the Bentley workers.

Nice airport is one of the most exotic in the world, and perfect for the Bentley Flying Spur. I stopped counting when I reach 40 private jets parked on the tarmac.

Of course, there is a chauffeur for the short ride to Monaco, and as I’m settling into the back seat I’m introduced to a unique Bentley tablet control. It can be hand-held or fixed in place, doing everything from adjusting the aircon to raising and lowering the privacy screens and more.

Already feeling like a celebrity, alas it doesn’t last long in Casino Square where there are Rolls-Royces and Ferraris and Lamborghinis in every corner.

My first complaint, and it’s a first-world problem, is that the rear space feels a touch cramped for such a big car. Of course, it’s not, but the windows are smaller than I expect and a high beltline restricts visibility.

“But you get the feeling of protection. And it is safer,” Seilaff says when I ask the question.

The ride is smooth and fluid, the car is super quiet and I can see and touch luxury all around. It’s a good place to travel.

Next morning, after a product briefing in the $65,000-a-night Princess Grace Suite, I’m looking forward to a long country drive into France along the Route Napoleon. It’s a challenging ribbon of bitumen that will challenge the Bentley Flying Spur on all fronts.

But first we have to get out of Casino Square and through the narrow streets of Monaco.

Here, for sure, the Flying Spur is two sizes bigger than needed. It also struggles up some cobbled lanes and there are a couple of ‘crashes’ from the front suspension when we encounter some deep potholes.

First world, I know…

As the roads open and I switch the car into the Sports setting, sinking my foot deeper into the long-travel throttle, the car comes alive. Indeed, the Flying Spur has the overtaking power of a supercar, yet can still be silky and smooth at 100km/h.

You are always conscious of the car’s heft, not just its weight but also its size, and thus it’s a car you need to ‘conduct’ and not force through corners.

Bentley claims it’s a sporty car, but that is relative to the class. It’s definitely not a McLaren GT, but not too far distant from a Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door.

In all conditions, it just covers the ground.

On quick sweepers it is fun with plenty of feedback, but on downhill plunges I need to be careful and considered with the brakes. And, again, the weight.

What is emerging is a brilliant Grand Tourer. I like it, although I wonder if owners would be more likely to jump into their jet to dash up to Paris or Berlin.

More first world problems and choices… Whatever, the Bentley Flying Spur is far more involving than a Rolls-Royce, more like a 7 Series in the driving enjoyment, and more sumptuous than a Maybach.

The chauffeur ride back to the airport is more of the same, and I feel comfortable, relaxed and now at home. I know I will never own a Flying Spur, but it’s still a car to covet.

How much does the 2020 Bentley Flying Spur cost?
Price: from $469,000
Engine: 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12
Output: 467kW/900Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed DSG
Fuel: 14.8L/100km (WLTP Combined)
CO2: 337g/km
Safety rating: Not tested