Luxurious Bentley Flying Spur V8 arrives

A cheaper, less powerful Bentley Flying Spur V8 has been launched in the UK, lifting its twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 from the sporty Continental GT coupe.

Still producing an impressive 404kW and 770Nm, the V8 is only 63kW and 130Nm down on the larger 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12.

And, thanks to the V8 weighing around 100kg less than the Flying Spur flagship, the performance gap is much smaller than you'd think.

Against the clock, the V8's 0-100km/h sprint takes 4.1 seconds – 0.3sec slower than the W12.

Top speed, meanwhile, is 319km/h, 14km/h off the bigger engine.

As well as being almost as quick as its costlier W12 sibling, the Flying Spur V8 is said to offer a "more driver-centric experience" behind the wheel while emitting a "characterful engine note" too.

Created for Bentley buyers who are more likely to drive themselves rather than be chauffeured, the lighter Flying Spur V8 is designed to feel more agile and responsive.

Like the range-topping model, the V8 doesn't skimp on chassis tech, with adaptive air suspension and brake torque vectoring all standard.

Hit the options list and you can add Bentley's 48-volt active anti-roll bars and four-wheel steering to make the big limo even more nimble around town.

To minimise fuel consumption, the V8 is capable of shutting down a bank of four cylinders under light throttle, or when the engine speed is less than 3000rpm.

This, says Bentley, means on a cruise it's 16 per cent more efficient than the W12-powered Flying Spur, with the V8 limo capable of averaging 12.7L/100km, compared to the W12's 14.8L/100km.

As standard, the Flying Spur V8 rides on 20-inch alloy wheels and features a quad exhaust system.

There's also the choice of 60 paint colours, along with swapping out the chrome brightwork for a more menacing dark look.

Inside, the choice of finishes is no less intimidating and that's before you even consider the further special Mulliner bespoke touches.

In the rear of the cabin there's the option of either a three-seat bench or a more luxurious pair of captain's armchairs that comes with an extra pair of control panels for the rear blinds, climate control, mood lighting and seat massage functions.

Between the seats there is an extended centre console that gets an extra 5.0-inch touch-screen.

That centre armrest can also come equipped with a bottle cooler that can store a six-pack, four half-litre bottles or two bottles of champagne and chill them down to -6 degrees Celsius.

Prices have yet to be announced and will be released closer to its launch later this year in Europe. Australian deliveries are expected to commence in early 2021.