You’ll likely recall that, unlike the outgoing Continental GT, you could already buy the Bentley Flying Spur as a hybrid. Not a particularly inspiring one, it must be said, because the model was forced to share VW’s ubiquitous 2.9-litre V6, which made it as dutiful and as parsimonious as a Victorian schoolmistress - and about as exciting. We haven’t seen the new one yet, but we know it’s not going to be like that as it will share the next-generation GT’s V8-powered Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain. Which means it comes with 782hp and 738lb ft of torque.
Unsurprisingly, this makes it by some distance the most powerful four-door Bentley ever, and the combination ought to slide into the new Flying Spur very nicely indeed. Bentley isn’t revealing any performance stats ahead of the car’s official unveiling next week (set your alarm for 12.30pm on Tuesday 10th) but it’s safe to assume that the hybridised flagship will show even the old W12 model a clean pair of heels. Bentley has apparently already put the car in the ‘hands of racing stars old and new’ to showcase its ‘newly-expanded dynamic capabilities’ - so we expect the launch film to be worth watching.
Beyond the enlivening fact that it’ll probably go sideways like a shopping trolley full of truffles, Bentley is keen to highlight that the new Flying Spur will also be the ‘most efficient four-door car in Bentley’s 105-year history’. Now, based on the fact that it’s never really put its shoulder into the concept before, that rather stands to reason - but with combined CO2 below 40g/km and an electric range of 45 miles (its predecessor could only manage 25 miles) clearly the manufacturer is keen to stress that the new car represents a step change in ability.
Plus, it still gets a 4.0-litre V8. Which is the vital ingredient that ought to convince its buyers that Bentley isn’t (for now) throwing out the baby with the bath water as it looks to offer a practical model that is capable of more than 500 miles between refills. Given the Flying Spur’s almost peerless ability as a long-range super-cruiser, it doesn’t sound like a bad combination to us. We’re expecting numerous other tweaks and improvements to accompany the new powertrain, some likely far-reaching given the Continental GT’s extensive makeover. Next week we’ll know for sure.
