Bentley Flying Spur V8.
The Flying Spur, Bentley’s flagship model, is now available with the carmaker’s turbocharged V8 engine.
The Bentley Flying Spur V8 is claimed to be more driver-centric than the Flying Spur W12, thanks to its higher agility and more emotive exhaust note.
Bentley says it also benefits from lower CO2 emissions and better fuel efficiency – meaning increased range between fuel stops.
EIGHT-CYLINDER HEART
At the heart of the Bentley Flying Spur V8 is a twin-turbocharged 4-litre V8 that kicks out 542hp and 770Nm of torque, the latter from under 2000rpm. The torque figure is maintained till 4500rpm.
Twin-scroll turbochargers have two separate parallel flow channels in the turbine housing, which helps deliver high torque at low speeds.
The turbos are also located inside the “V” of the motor to minimise the distance the exhaust gases must travel to the turbochargers. This promotes a quicker response and higher efficiency.
The turbochargers store up boost pressure on light throttle openings, comparable to a dam and reservoir, so boost pressure is instantly available again when the throttle is opened wide, significantly improving throttle response and engine flexibility.
To withstand higher stress and bore wear, the cylinder bores are iron coated using an atmospheric plasma spraying process creating a coating that is robust yet just 150 microns thick.
At full bore, the Bentley Flying Spur V8 does zero to 100km/h in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 318km/h.
HANDLING EQUIPMENT
The new model includes the latest powertrain and chassis advancements. These include Adaptive Air Suspension, Torque Vectoring by Brake, Drive Dynamics Control, and Electric Steering.
Optionally available are Bentley’s 48-volt electric active anti-roll technology (Bentley Dynamic Ride), and Electronic All-Wheel Steering.
The Dynamic Ride system controls ride comfort and lateral roll, cushioning passengers from excessive movement through decoupling of the wheels across the axles. It can apply up to 1300Nm of anti-roll torque in 0.3 seconds when cornering to keep the body flat and stable.
The air suspension uses three-chamber air springs, which contain 60 percent more air volume compared to the previous generation Flying Spur.
UNIQUE AESTHETICS
The Bentley Flying Spur V8 offers seven paintwork hues to choose from as standard. Customers can also specify their vehicle from the additional extended paint range of over 60 colours, including Mulliner and personal commission.
The blackline specification offers a contemporary alternative to exterior brightware, including a dark version of the optional illuminated electric Flying B.
Standard exterior features of the new V8 model include a 20-inch, 10-spoke painted alloy wheel, a V8 wing badge and quad exhaust pipes, making a visual impact at the rear of the vehicle.
BENTLEY FLYING SPUR V8 INTERIOR
The cabin of the Flying Spur V8 features seats in five hide colours. With the Colour Specification option, there are 10 more hide colours and two duo-tone interior configurations.
Crown Cut Walnut veneers are offered as standard, which uses a straight cut process to provide a contemporary finish. There are a further seven veneer species to choose from, plus a High Gloss Carbon Fibre technical finish.
Dual veneer finish can also be specified in all veneer types to add an even more bespoke feel to the cabin with Côtes de Genève specifically available for the front centre console.
The new refrigerated bottle cooler can be found between the rear seats behind the centre armrest.
It has two levels of cooling from +6°C to -6°C and the ability to accommodate six 330ml soft drinks, four 500ml bottles or two full sized (750ml) champagne bottles.
A completely new design means that the cooler is packaged into a much smaller space than the previous generation Flying Spur, meaning less intrusion into the 420-litre boot.
Clients can also specify a four-seat configuration benefiting from a long, through-console extending from the front console to the rear. It includes a new housing for the 5-inch touchscreen remote, twin cupholders, extra stowage and the option of a wireless charging point.
Torque understands that the Bentley Flying Spur V8 will arrive in Singapore in the third quarter of 2021.
Find out more about the Flying Spur flagship here
Click here for our Bentley Flying Spur W12 review
Or read our Bentley Continental GT review here
Head over here for our review of the Bentley Continental GT V8
