Bentley Continental Flying Spur
Elegance and the spirit of perfection, the hallmark of Bentley.
“No compromise” for this Grand Touring 4-door saloon. That was the guiding principle And the result is a model of rare elegance reflecting the spirit of perfection which is the hallmark of Bentley.
With its undeniably strong personality, the Continental Flying Spur is a surprising sports model which meets very high standards in terms of comfort. Whether it accommodates four passengers or five with benchseat, they all thus benefit from an exclusive environment. The first offers deep, roomy seats separated by a central console in leather and wood veneer containing the air conditioning and electrical seat adjustment controls. The “nec plus ultra” : rear passengers can move the front seat forward (if it’s unoccupied) to enjoy maximum leg room, while the driver and his passenger can choose from 16 different positions. Throughout the interior, design makes itself felt in little details : the front headrests are as small as possible so as not to obstruct the other occupants’ view, and the control panel and consoles are made of natural-colour walnut. The upholstery is high-quality leather, the steering wheel comes in hand-stitched leather, the gear lever in chrome. Beneath the hood, a 12-cylinder bi-turbo engine and 557 hp. And to control its ardour, a powerful braking system, the same as the one inaugurated on the Continental GT coupé ; the ventilated front brake discs are the largest of all existing touring cars (405 mm in diameter). As well as several airbags (two frontal, four head-thorax laterals for front and rear passengers, other full-width “curtains”), the car is fitted with pre-tighteners for the safety belts and a rear seat occupancy detection system which automatically rights the rear headrests to prevent lesions to the cervical vertebra. Also worth noting : a sophisticated anti-skid system and an electronic braking and stability programme, to which the engineers have added other possibilities to avoid “potential dangers”. For the exterior, no compromises have been made either : the Continental Flying Spur blends traditions and modernity with insolent self evidence. Nothing superfluous, though essentials are treated with such know-how that the final product attains perfection. The very short front cantilever, the wide and impressive hood and radiator grill all bear the Bentley signature. Design director Dirk van Braeckel wanted to give the car a discreet, intemporal image, whence the sobre, contemporary lines which succeed in incorporating originality while preserving the heritage of the past. The car’s long profile enhances its aerodynamic properties and the rounded C pillars behind the rear doors (in the shape of a hockey stick) add further dynamism and sportiness. The only compromise ? Perhaps in the choice of colours for the paintwork : they’re limited to sixteen !
By Cécile Olivero - photos : press
