SPY PICS: Bentley's new Flying Spur sedan

Bentley has renewed its Continental GT coupe and GTC convertible over the past couple of years, but the four-door Flying Spur sedan has been soldiering on largely unchanged since its 2005 launch.

However, a revamped model is currently being honed and is likely to surface at either the Paris or Detroit motor show over the coming months.

Captured here by the Carparazzi lenses, the Flying Spur test mule is clothed in Mercedes S-Class-mimicking body panels to throw observers off the scent, but the rims alone leave no doubt about the vehicle’s true identity.

As per its Conti GT and GTC siblings, the latest Flying Spur is a comprehensive reskin rather than an all-new model, with its design language distinguished by crisper, more muscular surfacing than its organic looking predecessor.

Like the two-door models, it’s likely the Flying Spur’s front fenders and bootlid will be fabrcated from ‘superformed’ aluminium – a process by which the metal is heated to 500 degrees Celsius before being blown into shape by compressed air.

Also expect the sedan to gain the heavily bejewelled headlights worn by the Conti GT, as well as a new grille and front and rear fascias.

Meanwhile, cabin ambience is reportedly uplifted via a revised interior layout, along with better quality trim materials, switchgear and plush-pile carpet.

The existing 6.0-litre W12 engine will be carried over, but as with the Conti GT/GTC, the powertrain line-up will also include the cleaner/greener Audi-derived 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that kicks out a robust 373kW and 660Nm from just 1700rpm.

Paired with a close-ratio eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, the force-fed V8 propels the Continental GT coupe to 100km/h in less than five seconds and a top speed of more than 290km/h, and the Flying Spur is likely to more or less match these figures.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site…