But that’s just the case for the 2015 model year, with a new V8 model joining the current W12. Curious to see if the Bentley Boys have lost their minds or are simply ahead of the curve, we hopped a plane to London to try out the new 2015 Flying Spur V8 for ourselves.
More than skin deep
Although technically the entry point into the Flying Spur’s range, the V8 is hardly outfitted like an entry-level model. Like the Flying Spur W12 that launched for the 2014 model year, the 2015 Flying Spur V8 comes with all-new bodywork, a re-worked interior and a revised suspension.
Admittedly the 2015 Flying Spur’s sheet metal doesn’t look radically different from the previous model’s, but think of this big sedan in the same vein as the Porsche 911 – updated for the trained eye.
Up front those subtle changes include revised headlights with LED elements, a new fascia intended to make the car look lower and wider, a flush-mounted grille and front fenders with more sculpting. The sides of the Flying Spur have been treated to fender vents, pronounced character lines along the sills and a lower roofline intended to give a whiff of coupe styling.
The changes at the rear of the car are the most noticeable, with the 2015 Flying Spur V8 receiving a more squared-off trunk-line, redesigned bumper, updated taillights and figure-eight tailpipes signifying the V8 underhood. Bentley logos with red centers also identify the V8 model.
Highlights from the 2015 Flying Spur V8′s interior include an updated steering wheel, redesigned center stack and new seats. Despite a $20,000 discount, the Flying Spur V8′s interior comes spec’d to the same level as the W12 model, including extensive sound deadening, 10 square meters of real wood and 14 bull hides. In all, the 2015 Flying Spur V8 boasts over 600 new interior parts.
Beneath all that style and luxury, Bentley has re-engineered the Flying Spur V8′s chassis and fitted the sedan with a new suspension to provide a softer and more compliant ride. To complement that suspension work, Flying Spur V8 rides on tires with taller sidewalls than before.
More of the Flying Spur is made from light-weight aluminum for 2015, so the car’s overall curb weight is down about 110 pounds.
Make no bones about it — the 2015 Flying Spur V8 is a new generation, not just a mid-cycle update.
Four-liter heart
Of course the biggest story behind the 2015 Flying Spur is the addition of a new Volkswagen-sourced V8.
Similar to the unit found in some Audi models, the Flying Spur’s V8 displaces 4.0L and uses advanced technologies like turbocharging, direct-injection and cylinder deactivation. Total output stands at 500 horsepower and 488 lb-ft of torque, or 116 horsepower and 102 lb-ft short of the optional W12.
Like the Flying Spur W12, the V8 routes power to all four wheels through a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission. That all-wheel drive system defaults to a 40/60 front/rear power split, but up to 65 percent of the engine’s power can be sent to the front axle and 85 percent to the rear, depending on traction conditions.
Although probably not a major concern for most Bentley buyers, the V8 is a bit thriftier than its W12 counterpart. The eight-cylinder Flying Spur returns 14/24mpg city/highway whereas the W12 can only muster 12/20mpg.
Flying Spur still flies
Any concerns of the Flying Spur V8 being underpowered quickly dissolved as we broke free from London’s infamous morning traffic.
Bury the gas pedal in the Flying Spur’s shag pile carpet and the 5,341 pound luxury barge takes off with the kind of immediacy typically reserved for much smaller sport sedans. Bentley says the Flying Spur V8 can hustle from 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and carry on to a top speed of 183mph.
Although you do give up some speed by opting for the V8 instead of the W12, the smaller-engined Flying Spur does have its benefits. For one, the exhaust note of the V8 is much more aurally satisfying than the somewhat odd baritone of the twelve-cylinder engine. The V8 is pretty much dead quiet during steady state cruising, but comes to life with a proper burble during hard acceleration.
The V8 also takes some weight off the Flying Spur’s nose, so steering is just a hair sharper. The Flying Spur V8 won’t trick you into thinking it’s a sports car, but the new suspension – which offers four different settings from sport to comfort – does a remarkably good job of keeping the car flat during tight cornering. Just be sure that the lid is back on the Grey Poupon before you start tearing up the back roads.
Comforts galore
After a full day of negotiating country roads barely wide enough to contain the Flying Spur’s 6.5-foot-wide frame, we were happy to climb into the sedan’s rear quarters where we could relax and enjoy its luxurious appointments.
More comfortable than our home couch, the Flying Spur’s back seat – which can be configured as a bench or as two individual seats – is fully adjustable and offers heated, cooled and massage functions. Once settled in, you can access the Flying Spur’s optional rear entertainment system via Bentley’s smartphone-like Touch Screen Remote (TSR). In addition to controlling audio and video functions, the TSR also doubles as an instrument repeater, so you can keep an eye on just how fast Jeeves is driving.
The entertainment package also comes with in-vehicle Wi-Fi.
But our attention quickly turned from the dual 10-inch LCD screens to the fine craftsmanship that surrounded us. Virtually every surface in the Flying Spur is covered in butter-soft leather and not a single hand-laid stitch is out of place – the attention to detail in the Flying Spur is truly staggering. Throw in a suspension that’s like riding on a magic carpet and we’d almost rather be sitting in the back seat than behind the wheel. Almost.
Leftlane’s bottom line
With the 2015 Flying Spur V8, Bentley has proven that less really can be more.
Though not as fast as the W12, the Flying Spur V8 makes up for that deficit with a more satisfying soundtrack and a 10 percent savings. No, the Flying Spur V8 isn’t the runt of the range, it’s the pick of the litter.
2015 Bentley Flying Spur V8 base price, $195,100.
Photos by Drew Johnson and Bentley.
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