Probably no other car in history, with the notable exception of the
Rolls Royce, emanates power and tradition than the
Bentley, which has even begun to acquire a more sporting image after the company was acquired by
Volkswagen. With the launch of the
Bentley Continental Flying Spur in 2005, the company again displayed their ability to produce a car with all the trappings of comfort and exclusivity under the label of the “fastest four-door in the company’s history” that succeeded in providing owners and their passengers with an unparalleled motoring experience. The Flying Spur is a four door version of the
Bentley Continental GT coupe, which was also introduced with great interest and success in 2003.
The similarities between the two models are obvious and far from incidental. The hint of understatement that has always been part of the
Bentley design philosophy is more that adequately displayed in this model, and no one could really guess at the power of this car from its exterior appearance. Sharing the bold and muscular appearance of the Continental GT coupe, with the key design features being a matrix radiator grill and short front overhang. To many the Bentley’s design is a bit of an “ in-joke” as only anyone who has ever traveled in the car, and especially over a long distance, can really appreciate what a combination of luxury and power has been assembled.
The Continental Flying Spur boasts a highly generous wheelbase, which stands for very generous legroom all round. Those who put their cash down on one of these cars were given the opportunity to indulge themselves within an almost unlimited list of design options. These include a either a five seat cabin type passenger and driver layout or a four seater with two large and electrically-powered rear seats or a five-seat cabin with a rear seat running across the full width of the car. Leather and wood veneers feature very strongly in the Flying Spur’s interior trim providing a mixture of contemporary design laced with traditional features that has characterized the marque since they went into production almost a century ago.
Bentley’s have always been out about this combination of exquisite comfort and speed, and the 2005 Continental Flying Spur was launched to continue with this tradition. And this particular
Bentley model is no exception.
Powered by a 12-cylinder 6-litre, twin-turbocharged engine engineered hand produced at Bentley’s factory in Crewe, the Flying Spur’s engine has been tuned to provide the car manufacturer’s legendary torque’ at low revs as well as a massive 552 brake horse power. This may be regarded as incidental in a car of such obvious class, but the Flying Spur is capable of reaching 0-60 miles (0-97km/h) per hour in exactly five seconds, and of reaching a top speed of around 190 miles per hour (314km/h).
Power from the engine to the wheels is by way of am exceptionally smooth, six-speed ‘paddleshift’ ZF gearbox. The gearbox’s Tiptronic actuation is carried over into the Continental Flying Spur from the GTC.
Another feature carried on from the GTC is that the Flying Spur was built on the parent company Volkswagen’s D platform chassis, with which the Flying Spur shares many other design characteristics and technical components.
The Flying Spur was originally assembled at the
Volkswagen plant in Dresden Germany, until 2006 when the entire car’s assembly work reverted to Crewe.
The Continental Flying Spur is a five seat hand crafted, GranTourer with supercar credentials. This car proves that choosing luxury and space does not require a compromise on power and performance making every day a special occasion of the customer who seeks far more than a means of transport
Technical Specification
Engine: 6.0 liter twin-turbocharged 12 cylinder
Power: 552 hp at 6100 rpm
Max torque: 479 lb ft at 1600 rpm
Transmission: 6 speed automatic with manual shift facility
0-60mph Acceleration:: 4.9 seconds
0-100 mph Acceleration: 11.5 seconds
Max Speed: 195 mph
All-wheel drive: Electronically controlled air suspension
Color Specification
Paint: Silver Tempest
Main Hide: Saffon
Secondary Hide: Porpoise
Veener: BurnWalnut
Carpets: Porpoise
Base MSRP $164,990.00
Images were reprinted with permissions from original author Karl C! Content was written by Albert Hecht for www.sport-cars.org only and you MAY NOT copy, distribute or use this page's content for any commercial or non-commerical purpose without written permission of this site owner and photos authors!
April 5, 2008, 1:29 pm
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