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Bentley has long planned to offer a four-door version of its hugely successful Continental GT. The sedan—it will
be called the Continental Flying Spur—is more conservative than the rakish coupe but comes equipped with all the features,
equipment, and powertrain from the GT. It will be close in cost to the GT (about $162,000) when it goes on sale toward the
end of this year. Bentley's pricey $220,000 Arnage sedan will continue to sell alongside the Flying Spur for the time being.
Bentley describes the eminently custom-made Arnage as "the ultimate in automotive tailoring," which makes the Flying Spur
the ultimate in off-the-rack sheetmetal.
Interior changes for the Spur from the coupe are minor, including new front seats that are set higher than the GT's. The
only engine is the 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W-12 that makes 551 horsepower. Bentley claims the Flying Spur will accelerate
to 60 mph in about five seconds and top out at more than 190 mph.
 There is a strong resemblance between the GT and Flying Spur, due to the shared front-end styling and similar rear-end design.
Overall, the Flying Spur is 20 inches longer than the coupe, and the extended wheelbase dictated a fairly conventional side
profile, with framed windows and a character line that runs from the front-wheel arch to the trunk.
What you must not do in front of Bentley folks is mention the VW Phaeton. Volkswagen is the corporate parent of both, so
the German automaker's flagship shares most of its parts with the two Continental models, and it is natural to compare the
top-dog VW with the Flying Spur. The possibility even exists that the Flying Spur may be assembled alongside the Phaeton in
Dresden, Germany. If this were to occur, the Bentleys would still have their engines built and interiors fitted in England.
Bentley's plant in Crewe, England, could make a max of about 9000 Bentleys a year. If the Flying Spur is as much a success as the GT (5500
sold last year), Bentley may have to exploit the underutilized VW plant. |
