Thursday 2nd December 2004

New Bentley spotted on M6

Four-door saloon now out on test

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Reports of the new four-door Bentley limousine have been appearing in Auto Express. Looking somewhat like a big Merc in the spy shots snapped on the M6, the car is the new Flying Spur, a name that harks back to the marque's 1960s grand tourer (right).

The new car will use similar underpinnings and 6.0-litre turbocharged W12 engine as the coupe -- for which there's already a year's waiting list despite the 4,500-car-per-year production schedule -- plus four-wheel drive.

Prices look likely to be around £110,000 so empty that piggybank.

Story here: www.autoexpress.co.uk/

[craigw]

Cant say much but the reports arent far from the truth, looks set to be great value for the money even at £112,000

[smele]

Looks great in the picture.

[size13]

When we went round the factory 18 months ago we were told about a 4 door version of the continental.

[Andrew Richmond]

craigw said:

Cant say much but the reports arent far from the truth, looks set to be great value for the money even at £112,000

As I've got one on order I'd love to know more. Will it weigh much more than the coupe's already generous 2385kg?

[FestivAli]

I saw some spy pics, it was basically a merc S class bodyshell with a new grille ( A bentley one ) and some nice wheels. Can I ask a question? Does this mean that Bentley may want to be competing with the upper merc S classes? At 112000 pounds? I know that there's undoubtedly a market there, but doesn't that dilute the exclusitivity of the Bentley marque? Come on, its a (admittedly German owned) British luxury marque, not some staid, boring, every plastic surgeons got one producer of facist plutobarges (Sorry about the fascist thing - Dunno why I said it, just seemed cool)

[craigw]

Andrew Richmond said:

craigw said: Cant say much but the reports arent far from the truth, looks set to be great value for the money even at £112,000 As I've got one on order I'd love to know more. Will it weigh much more than the coupe's already generous 2385kg?

I believe slightly heavier, but very fast, from memory around 5 secs to 60, 195ish top end & not based on a merc chassis I dont think.

Looks like a conti GT from the front & back (assuming its what I saw)

I'm probably in trouble now!

[Andrew Richmond]

craigw said:

I believe slightly heavier, but very fast, from memory around 5 secs to 60, 195ish top end & not based on a merc chassis I dont think. Looks like a conti GT from the front & back (assuming its what I saw) I'm probably in trouble now!

I'm sure that you are not in trouble Craig! I'm hoping its no more than 2600kg (massive, eh!) which will give about 210bhp/tonne which is enough for that sort of car.

I like the Conti's front and back but feel that it looks too short in profile, something I hope the saloon will deal with.

Are you still enjoying your 3200? I miss mine quite a bit when its dry but at this time of year I'm glad that someone else is losing traction in third in it!

Cheers

Andrew

[Gentelman]

I'm hoping they'll produce a stripped-down version of the Conti GT with strictly rear-wheel drive (perhaps from the road-racing Mercielago?). A "club sport" if you will. Though I suppose a true manual transmission in a bentley is the stuff of dreams.

[Andrew Richmond]

Gentelman said:

I'm hoping they'll produce a stripped-down version of the Conti GT with strictly rear-wheel drive (perhaps from the road-racing Mercielago?). A "club sport" if you will. Though I suppose a true manual transmission in a bentley is the stuff of dreams.

Why? You don't buy a Bentley for this.

[Gentelman]

Andrew Richmond said:

Gentelman said: I'm hoping they'll produce a stripped-down version of the Conti GT with strictly rear-wheel drive (perhaps from the road-racing Mercielago?). A "club sport" if you will. Though I suppose a true manual transmission in a bentley is the stuff of dreams. Why? You don't buy a Bentley for this.

Not anymore, that's for sure. Though VW's failed talks with Maserati would have provided them with a rear-drive platform at least, that would have gone under a version of the Conti.

>> Edited by Gentelman on Tuesday 7th December 23:09

[nonegreen]

I was in the factory on Thursday and there is currently a ban on factory tours. The 4 door versionof the continental GT goes into production immediately in the new year so they clearly have some in pre production right now.

[The DJ 27]

They're also taking on a huge amount of new staff at the moment, and the factory is working 24 hours a day at the moment.